So today I took a happiness assessment which measures the following areas: optimism, illness susceptibility, locus of control, compassion, trusting of others, affiliation, pleasantness, emotional stability, conscientiousness, assertiveness, self-confidence, gratefulness, conformity, and playfulness. This comprises my overall happiness assessment. Which I have never taken before but I am sure the areas that have been tested were tested else where. For example I'm sure I've tested my conscientiousness before along with my assertiveness. Since my last take in any area I've developed new thought processes and views.
Optimism is kinda self explanatory but it goes without saying it is the belief of positive outcomes. My score average which "indicates that you are neither overly optimistic nor overly pessimistic. You most likely assess situations realistically and your expectations about future outcomes are consistent with this approach. However, depending upon the situation you may be either pessimistic or optimistic about certain specific categories of situations. For example, a person can be optimistic about the future but pessimistic about their ability to change the future.
Therefore, this way of thinking can impact your overall level of happiness. It is important for you to honestly assess whether you are being unnecessarily negative about your expectations. If you find that you are, then working on improving your outlook can improve your sense of happiness. You can do this by deliberately focusing on positive outcomes and noticing when they occur. If you need more concrete reminders of the positive things that occur, it can be helpful to write them down. Reviewing this list can increase your degree of optimism and affect your happiness". In 2015 my score regarding optimism was an average score but looked higher as it indicated I looked on the bright side of things. Usually expecting a favorable outcome for events and typically are hopeful about the best possible outcome. I also tend to create positive outcomes due to your belief. In other words, I'm more likely to strive for a particular outcome because you believe it is possible. However, at times I may be overly optimistic and have unrealistic expectations for an event or project. From this current test I need to change my perspective and look more on the optimistic side of life to create a more happy fulfilling life.
Illness susceptibility refers to the likelihood of engaging in behaviors critical to physical and mental health. While I don't believe I've previously scored in this area before this result will be new for me. My "high score indicates that you have trouble controlling your behavioral responses and will often act without much consideration of the consequences. This may create problems achieving goals regarding your health. You are likely to over-indulge yourself such as eating or drinking too much. In addition, you may have difficulties with practices such as exercise that require self-discipline. These behaviors are likely to create problems for you which will impact your happiness negatively.
You may be like many people who have not developed frustration tolerance (the ability to wait for desires or work towards outcomes) and you want gratification immediately even though there may be long-term negative consequences to having what you want. By developing greater frustration tolerance you may experience more positive health outcomes and greater satisfaction and happiness in the long-term. Impulse control skills can be developed by learning methods to slow down your reaction and consider consequences and goals. In particular, learning to recognize the thinking that causes the reaction and how to intercept it can assist with change. Recognizing that you can cope with short-term discomfort for the long-term rewards will lead to greater life satisfaction and happiness". This can be true as I have tried quitting smoking for years and relapse within a matter of time. Recently the longest was 10 ½ days without smoking. This is just one of many issues I struggle with.
Locus control is the degree of belief in either effort or luck as a key to success. My "average score indicates that you see luck and effort as fairly equal components to achieving success. You recognize that one must work hard to achieve success but that it doesn't hurt to be lucky as well. However, you understand that this "luck" may be due to the "effort" of being in the right place at the right time with the right people.
You are likely to put forth effort to achieve the things that you want in life. However, you are also likely to assess situations and determine when effort may be worthwhile and when it is not. You recognize that sometimes success may be due to external factors. So you tend to keep a more balanced perspective on your ability to control your life.
This average locus of control is unlikely to negatively affect your degree of happiness and may help create the conditions for happiness". Based on this evaluation seems like I have a healthy locus of control.
Compassion the concern for others in their misfortune. My score was "high score indicates that you have a great deal of concern for people who are suffering and feel deeply about their problems. You go out of your way to help others. This level of compassion has been associated with a greater level of happiness. People who focus less on themselves and more on compassion towards others are usually happier people.
However, your deep compassion and kind-heartedness may sometimes cause you to focus too much on the needs of others to your own detriment. You may need to find a balance in your concern for others while taking care of your own needs. Otherwise, you may become overwhelmed by others' needs which could negatively impact your degree of happiness". This may be detriment as I focus more on others than I do on myself but the key is finding a happy balance.
Trusting others the belief in others good intentions. My score being "high score indicates that you generally tend to trust others. You do not tend to overly examine others' behavior or motives and do not take offense easily. This attitude has been shown to be associated with greater happiness. People who believe the best regarding others' motives and behaviors tend to be more aware of positive outcomes that occur. This sensitivity towards positive events increases overall happiness.
In healthy relationships, this attitude can enhance the relationship further creating a positive reinforcement cycle. However, you need to be careful because sometimes you may naively trust others. It is important for you to learn to evaluate the degree to which each person or situation should be trusted. If you don't realistically assess the trustworthiness of others, it could lead to unforeseen problems which could negatively impact your degree of happiness". While this is high it gives warning to be realistic when putting my trust in others.
Affiliation is the desire to be around others and social events. It isn't surprising the score. My score "high score indicates that you seek out social contact and enjoy large social gatherings. You feel most involved in life when you have social stimulation. People who affiliate a great deal with others are generally happier people. Social support helps you to cope with life stressors and to keep problems in perspective. Engaging in pleasurable activities with others keeps you focused in a positive way. However, sometimes you may have difficulty tolerating being alone and need the stimulation of others to stay in a positive mood. Therefore, it is helpful to work on other factors that can contribute to happiness and not just rely on social stimulation and support alone. So, use this assessment to help you determine what other aspects of your happiness you can address". While this is high my social anxiety keeps me from social events due to fear mainly of disappointing others.
Pleasantness is the tendency to be easy-going, agreeable, and respectful of others. My "high score indicates that you are especially easy to get along with and very tolerant of others. You are not likely to judge or criticize others. You tend to show an interest in people and to be supportive and encouraging. Others tend to enjoy your company.
Such a pleasant attitude towards others has been associated with happy people. This aspect of happiness is a strength of yours. Because you have a pleasant attitude towards others, you create a positive self-fulfilling prophecy. In other words, by treating people pleasantly, others are more likely to be attracted to you and to treat you in a positive manner as well. This is likely to impact your overall happiness positively". This is not a surprise at all.
Emotional stability is the tendency to not be ruled by emotions and to manage emotions. My score "high score indicates that you tend to be fairly calm without extreme emotional reactions to situations. You approach problems calmly and with certainty. You have a great deal of personal strength to manage your life in such a way that you don't create unnecessary problems in your life.
Your emotions don't tend to interfere with your decisions or how you handle a problem. You are likely to confront problems directly and believe in your ability to handle most situations successfully. Generally, this factor likely contributes positively to your overall happiness.
However, you may have the tendency to ignore emotions and use logic alone. Such a strategy may ignore some important information that can be useful for evaluating situations. Therefore, it may be important for you to assess whether being overly logical could impact your overall degree of happiness. If it is, it may be helpful for you to try and be aware of the emotional information of a situation when making decisions. For some people this can be as simple as asking yourself how you feel and why. For others, however, it may involve more guidance to learn how to access and identify emotions". This could be from years of being told to think logical and to act with my head and not my heart or feelings. This may require some work to get back to who I truly am at heart.
Conscientiousness is the tendency to be meticulous and careful when completing tasks. My "high score indicates that you tend to be especially careful with your work and other tasks. You plan ahead and are unlikely to make careless mistakes. You are a principled person who believes in the importance of behaving according to these principles. You are likely to be concerned about doing your work well and treating other people with respect.
Such an approach to life is likely to increase success, decrease foreseeable problems, and improve relationships with others. As a result, it usually contributes to overall satisfaction and happiness in life. However, you do need to be careful and not become too obsessed on the details of your tasks or you could increase your stress and negatively impact your degree of happiness". As a perfectionistic type this is hard and will require work.
Assertiveness the ability to actively problem-solve and to handle situations directly, calmly, and with confidence. My "score indicates average assertiveness. You may be direct in some situations but may also be passive or avoidant depending on the situation. Such avoidance may allow some problem to remain unsolved which can reduce overall satisfaction and happiness in life.
By developing more direct communication, setting limits, and voicing your needs, you might find you are able to be more successful and achieve what you want at work or in relationships. If you are concerned about others' reactions to communicating assertively, you may need to work on changing this type of thinking. You may find the Cognitive Diary app helpful with doing this.
Otherwise, if you are able to be assertive in some situation, it indicates you have assertion skills and you may just need to apply them more consistently". This is a work in progress and surprised I'm at an average score but shows improvement from where I thought I was at.
Self-confidence having faith and trust in my ability and myself. My high score indicates that you generally tend to have a great deal of confidence in your ability to handle most situations that you need to confront. You don't tend to have self-doubt and are likely to pursue things that you desire without second-guessing yourself. You feel comfortable with yourself and like yourself as you are without having to be perfect. However, you are still likely to strive for self-improvement which is easier when you have this accepting attitude about yourself. Generally, such a level of self-confidence has been shown to be a factor in overall happiness. So, this is an area of strength for you".
Gratefulness tendency to be thankful and appreciative for life circumstances. My "high score indicates that you are optimistic and have a great deal of satisfaction with life. You feel enthusiastic about your life. You tend to look forward to each day and what it will bring. You recognize that happiness is based on your perspective of what happens in your life and not on the actual events. Therefore, you tend to focus on the aspects of life that bring you happiness and don't dwell on the negative". It would be good to keep a diary of my gratitude to reflect on all the good I have going for me. As not always do I remember to be grateful.
Conformity or approval-seeking is the tendency to have others approval and to conform to their expectations. My "average score indicates that you focus to a moderate degree on needing approval from others. Although this thinking may not affect your overall happiness to a great degree, it likely causes some avoidance of interpersonal situations that can prevent adequate problem-solving. For example, you may not speak up when there is a problem or you may have difficulty setting certain limits with others. Therefore, it can prevent you from getting your needs met adequately". This score stems from my driving force to please others and to seek approval which may also stem from my childhood.
Playfulness is focusing on the exciting aspects of life and encouraging others to laugh and have fun. My "high score indicates that you tend to find joy and excitement in many different experiences in life. You readily notice even the small things that bring happiness. You are likely to seek out positive experiences and are not likely to dwell on the negative aspects of life. In fact, you probably don't give much attention to negative experiences, and as a result, see life as much more filled with joy and happiness.
You tend to be playful and try to engage others in a laugh or a positive experience. You may be able to bring more joy into your life through deliberately focusing on positive aspects of situations. You understand that it is often not the actual events that occur that impact your mood, but how you focus on the event and the perspective you take".
Overall, I feel this assessment has me in a good state and my overall happiness could improve with changing my perspective. Not searching for happiness but let happiness find me. By that I mean live in the moment, use the good qualities I have, along with my strengths, and let the butterfly of happiness find me.