Stress isn’t always bad; in fact the right kind of stress can make you happier!

Some of my most popular articles involve ways to be happier. Like the habits of remarkably happy people. And what happy people do more often. And things you should stop doing so you can be happier at work.. And the simple daily habits of exceptionally happy people.

Reducing stress is a common theme in many of the approaches to happiness. (It’s hard to be content when you’re anxious or feel under pressure.

Yet oddly enough, one great way to be happy is to consciously put stress and pressure on yourself.

According to research published in the Journal of Happiness Studies, people who work hard at improving a skill or an ability definitely experience stress in the moment… but also feel greater happiness on a daily basis — and over the long term.

According to Ryan Howell, assistant professor of psychology at San Francisco State University:

‘No pain, no gain’ is the rule when it comes to gaining happiness from increasing our competence at something. People often give up their goals because they are stressful, but we found that there is benefit at the end of the day from learning to do something well. And what’s striking is that you don’t have to reach your goal to see the benefits to your happiness and well-being.

Working to master a new skill or accomplish a huge goal definitely means more stress now.. But it also means more happiness later.

If you are willing to push through a bit of added stress in the short term, you can experience huge gains in happiness over the long term…

…keep reading the full & original article HERE