NZ Herald19 Mar, 2025 10:00 PM8 mins to read
Eleven expert-backed ways to boost your happiness — and make it last
In a world filled with uncertainty, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
Many of us are juggling everyday responsibilities, comparing ourselves to others on social media, or chasing goals that never quite bring the fulfilment we expect. But true happiness comes from within, and there are ways to cultivate it, even in challenging times.
To mark International Happiness Day (March 20), we spoke to leading experts in psychology, workplace wellbeing, and personal development to uncover their best strategies for long-term happiness. Here’s what they had to say:
Choose your conveniences wisely
Technology is designed to make life easier, but convenience doesn’t always equate to happiness. When we rely too much on convenience, we can miss out on meaningful experiences.
Menka Sanghvi, author of Your Best Digital Life: Use Your Mind to Tame Your Tech, suggests being more mindful about the conveniences we embrace.
“Think about convenience as a spectrum and connect with your personal values to make these choices.
“By experimenting, you can figure out when it’s worth making the extra effort or tolerating some discomfort to have a more meaningful experience — whether it’s finishing that documentary you care about [rather than mindlessly scrolling] or cooking a meal at home [instead of defaulting to fast food].
“The more we practise this discernment, the more we’ll be able to pick and choose the conveniences that lead to fulfilment and happiness, and reject the ones that don’t.”