What does happiness mean to you?

What does happiness mean to you? We ask young people to share with us what they believe happiness to be.

It’s very hard to find a single definition for “happiness”. When we think about happiness, we can think of lots of things, such as joy, pleasure, satisfaction, gratitude, contentment, peace of mind, social connection, acceptance, a sense of purpose, or wellbeing. Happiness has a lot to do with our feelings and emotional state, but it also can involve our physical wellbeing and having a sense of safety and security in our lives.

This means that each of us can have different understandings of happiness; that there are lots of different things that can bring us happiness; and that what makes us feel happy might change from time to time as we go through our lives.

With this in mind, we asked some students taking part in our 2022/23 Transition Year (TY) Programme to share with us what happiness means to them now and some of the things they do to feel happy.

Here are their responses: we hope these get you thinking about what happiness means to you too!

Happiness is...

feeling free; feeling able to do to things you love; feeling like you can achieve whatever your mindset is; spending time with people you feel most close with, being able to get stuff off your chest.

Happiness is what is within you; no one can tell you how to be happy.

You determine your happiness; your own happiness will come to you in your own time, so just because you’re not happy and everyone is, your time will come to find your own personal happiness!!! 

Happiness is...

being surrounded by people who make me feel comfortable and safe. I like doing this by spending time going out with my friends, watching movies with my parents, asking my siblings about their day, and engaging in new experiences, as well as dancing with my dance team.

Happiness is...

spending time with friends and family; playing sports that I love with my mates; relaxing after a tough training session or long school day; playing with my dogs; seeing my friends in school and joking with them; eating amazing food; people laughing at your jokes.

Happiness is...

colourful sunsets which signal the completion of another wonderful day; laughing heartily, feeling completely at peace in the company of family and friends; spending time outside, in awe of the colours and nature, fresh air tickling your skin; drinking a warm mug of hot chocolate, in a cosy coffee shop, staring out the window, watching the world going by - cars, clouds forming patterns and shapes in the sky, people going about their day.

Happiness is...

making other people smile; playing sport; going to the gym; and enjoying life myself.

Happiness is...

Happiness is doing the things that I love; spending time with my loved ones; playing GAA; spending time with God.

Happiness is...

Happiness is shrieking laughter with your mate; alone time with my music; a love so great, you don’t want to lose it.

Happiness is...

ordering takeaway with my family or friends after a long day of playing sport; socialising with my friends during TY and on the weekends; meeting my granny and my cousins in Dublin and making them laugh; and play fighting with my dog when I come home from school.

Happiness is...

deep conversations late at night.

Finding ways to support your wellbeing

Taking time out for self-care, practicing mindfulness, journaling, or trying breathing exercises are just some examples of little things you can do every day to support your wellbeing and help you feel happy. Watch the talk below to find out more about self-care and the practices you can try to look after your wellbeing.