To be happy, we must first love ourselves

European University of Lefke (EUL) Psychology Department academic staff member Asst. Prof. Dr. Cemaliye Direktör stated that the United Nations declared World Happiness Day in 2012 and stated that the theme of this year’s World Happiness Day was determined as “Stay Calm, Be Wise and Be Gentle” as a response to the pandemic.

“Nobody wants to feel sad, sad, anxious. Every individual wants to be happy. Saying that there are many events that affect us around us, the Direktör continued her words as follows; “No one’s day can be all bad, nor can it be all good. People perceive negativities more easily. In fact, many negative experiences are completely independent of us. Because of the pandemic, not being able to leave the house, not being able to meet with friends, fear of illnesses, and many other things are not in our hands. Despite this, it is our own choice to be unhappy at being at home due to the pandemic, to get angry thinking that it distracts us from our social life, and to despair that it will not end. It is our choice to think that we can use time differently than being at home due to the pandemic, live the moment, enjoy being with ourselves, and communicate with my friends to socialize. Anxiety, anger, sadness are not among the emotions we want to experience. However, these emotions guide and protect us. It determines how we cope when we feel these, and what we feel next. Instead of dealing with situations that we don’t have control of, changing the emotions we feel in these situations allows us to cope in a healthier way. On the other hand, we need to discover ourselves and take action in situations that are under your control, such as what to do at home. ”

Stating that happiness seems to be very difficult and remote most of the time, especially in situations that affect everyone, the Direktör stated that a simple and easy formula to be happy is smiling; “Smiling is contagious. When you see someone laughing in front of you, you notice that you are smiling. Smiling also allows you to enjoy the moment. It helps you look around in a positive way. It allows us to approach others with understanding by moving away from perfectionism. Understanding increases satisfaction in relationships. The only thing that starts this linked chain is smiling. Despairing just because nothing will get in the way does not bring us anything, but thinking that there will be better days preserves hope and adds meaning to life. To be happy, we must first love ourselves. We must be able to enjoy and accept ourselves. We must first be kind to ourselves. Maybe we should just smile to start. ”