Finding Your ‘Buzz’: What Makes You Happy?

What do you really enjoy doing? I’m talking about that buzz you get when you’re in a state of pure joy, calm, excitement, contentment, or all of these combined. From walking through nature at dusk, to cycling downhill on a warm day, to drawing whilst listening to music, it’s different for everyone. Don’t you wish you could feel like that more often? There’s a reason why we don’t.

What Do The Experts Say?

Psychologists say we have a small number of basic emotions and there is much research on the subject. Dr Paul Ekman, a psychologist and professor, identified 5 core emotions: enjoyment, anger, sadness, fear, and disgust. We can see already from that list that the so-called “bad” emotions outweigh the good, but of course, it’s a much deeper and complex system. You can find out more via his Atlas of Emotions website which he created with his daughter and fellow professor, Dr Eve Ekman (and the project was commissioned by the Dalai Lama no less!).

Emotions like anxiety, found under the Ekmans’ ‘Fear’ core emotion, act as our ‘fight or flight’ mechanism. Back in ye olde cave days, we’d use it to react to threats and our bodies would pump adrenalin and cortisol to get us going, sometimes literally saving our skins.

Most of us don’t have to live in the wild and deal with bears these days, but today’s version of those threats are everyday stressors like family issues, relationship breakdowns, problems at work and/or money worries. These are the things keeping a lot of us awake at night with our hearts pumping, as if they’re physically in the room with us. Add this together with the general state of today’s world, and you can soon see how we are taken over by uncomfortable emotions.

Whatever Makes You Happy

So, when we find that something that takes our body and minds away from those unwanted emotions, it’s such a sweet relief. If you’re lucky enough to have found something that gives you that buzz, that escape, then all you need to do is do more of it! Easier said than done. But not only will you potentially extend your social network, you’ll physically create new neural networks in your brain and break old patterns and old ways of thinking.

Most of us will spend our days and weeks going through the same motions: wake up, check our phone, coffee, bus to work, chat to the same people, gym, make dinner, TV, check phone, bed; and repeat. When we do something over and over, we use the same neural networks, meaning we’re almost functioning solely on auto-pilot. By learning something new, we are creating new brain patterns and improving our overall wellbeing.

Know When To Speak Out

This doesn’t mean you should bury real issues and problems. You’ll still need to tackle those I’m afraid, and talking openly is, in my opinion, the best way forward. We’re both cursed and blessed to live in a world that is more open than ever about sharing emotions – the cursed bit being that there is so much information, it can be overwhelming. Start by talking to trusted people in your life, or a professional.

Find Your Buzz…

Typically, companies will define their Mission, Vision and Values and use them in their business strategy for the years ahead. But we can also use these for ourselves. Write down your personal Mission, Vision and Values and it might help you find what interests you most, in and out of the workplace. I find it also helps me be more mindful, because by doing this exercise, I’m reminded that I am following my own path and it therefore allows me to be more content with living in the present.

To give an example, here are mine:

Mission (what you will do today to work towards your vision):

• to continuously educate and improve myself.

Vision (what you aspire to become/do):

• to help improve the lives of others; in my life, my community, or even the world!

Values (your core beliefs/behaviours):

• Inquisitive: always open to learning new things and educating myself
• Compassionate: empathy and openness to others
• Creative: open to different ways of expression and thinking
• Self-motivated: using my initiative and drive to make things happen

Some things on my ‘buzz list’ currently include: my new website, working towards my Pilates Teaching Diploma and my love for cycling and finding street art. 

New Career?

We can also use the above to further develop, or move towards, a more suited career. Start with your passions and think about what you can do to gain relevant experience or contacts. Look for opportunities and network like mad. I was able to switch careers by volunteering and networking (and probably a bit of luck). Be inquisitive and passionate and the rest will follow.

And if you’re struggling to find your buzz, don’t fret it! It will all come in time, as we learn more about ourselves, and try different things. Embrace the journey and enjoy uncovering potential new loves.