Key points

Happiness is not the absence of depression; well-being and distress are related but distinct processes.

Chasing happiness as an outcome often backfires; happiness is built through practice, not achievement.

Social connection buffers stress and supports meaning, not just emotional comfort.

Small actions create the conditions where happiness can emerge.

Recently, I was having dinner with a group of friends who also work in mental health when the conversation turned to happiness . What stood out wasn’t that everyone wanted to be happier, but how differently we defined happiness. Despite the range of perspectives, one shared assumption kept resurfacing: Happiness is something we reach after checking off the right boxes.

My clinical experience and a growing body of research s

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