According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Australia outperforms other countries in many areas including jobs, average income, health, education, environmental quality, civic engagement, social connections and life satisfaction. However, it is estimated that nearly one in five Australians experiences a mental health condition in a given year and mental ill-health affects impacts everyone to a degree. So why are so many Australians struggling with their mental health?
Some experts are pointing to the differences between the pursuit of pleasure and the pursuit of happiness as being significant factors in how we choose to live our lives. These two concepts sound similar, but there are some interesting and profound differences which may help us to course-correct and live more fulfilling lives. Robert Lustig, a world-leading expert on metabolic health has outlined seven differences between pleasure and happiness, which may help to crystalise where we might be going wrong.
- Pleasure is short-term. Happiness is long-term
- Pleasure is visceral, you feel it in your body. Happiness is ethereal, you feel it above the neck.
- Pleasure is taking. Happiness is giving.
- Pleasure is achieved alone. Happiness is activated in social groups.
- Pleasure can be activated by substances like alcohol or sugary drinks. Happiness is not achievable using substances.
- Extremes of pleasure are addictive. Happiness is not addictive.
- Pleasure is dopamine. Happiness is serotonin.
Professor Lustig points to today’s society driving us towards the pursuit of short-term pleasure at the expense of long-term happiness. We are bombarded with commercial messages encouraging us to eat, drink and consume. Whether it is ultra-processed food, sugary drinks, alcohol, the latest video game, or even the likes we receive on social media, we are spiking our dopamine at the expense of our serotonin levels, which means we are training our brains to become addicted to pleasures which never last.
Happiness comes with social relationships and being connected to others. Being connected in healthy romantic and collaborative social relationships helps us to thrive, to manage our stress responses and reduce the risk of both mental and physical health issues. Studies have shown that holding someone’s hand can actually reduce the neural response to pain. Other studies have shown that positive emotions like joy, interest, contentment and love can actually increase our intellectual and physical capacities.
As well as having strong social relationships, our environment is essential to promote happiness. And having access to green spaces has been shown to improve wellbeing.
Another factor which promotes happiness is play. Being playful helps us to develop skills in problem solving and creativity and is a hugely beneficial for generating positive emotions and fostering general wellbeing.
Meditation, mindfulness and flow have also been proven to promote happiness and wellbeing. Mindfulness brings our attention to the present moment. And flow is a state achieved by sustained, goal-driven attention in any activity which is challenging and requires concentration.
To protect your mental health, both pleasure and happiness feel good. However, life is a marathon rather than a sprint, so choosing happiness over pleasure will serve you better in the long run.