Does the Epicurean lifestyle lead to a happier life?
I would like to present the idea that happiness is a practice that can be learned. So it is possible to enhance one's happiness by doing and thinking certain things.
In several of the Epicurean verses we see indications of the feeling tone present in an Epicurean lifestyle:
"One must laugh and seek wisdom and tend to one's home life and use one's other goods, and always recount the pronouncements of true philosophy." (VS 41)
"Friendship dances around the world, announcing to each of us that we must awaken to happiness." (VS 52)
"It is not the young man who is most happy, but the old man who has lived beautifully; for despite being at his very peak the young man stumbles around as if he were of many minds, whereas the old man has settled into old age as if in a harbor, secure in his gratitude for the good things he was once unsure of." (VS 17)
Consider the feeling tone of your last three days. What kinds of feelings predominated? Did you feel some happiness? If not, why not?
How is your sleep quality? Poor sleep or not long enough sleep can affect how we feel and think, so try to get good sleep by making any needed adjustments in your bedroom environment or in your habits (such as avoiding caffeine if you are sensitive and setting a specific time to go to bed).
Are you ruminating or spending a lot of time thinking about problems in your life? Are you feeling some anxiety regarding uncertainties in your future? If you have unsolved problems in your life, take some time to sit down and think through all your options (write them out) or get advice if you need it. Of course there will be times when we aren't always settled down or we have some important decisions to make, but these should be brief transitory times.
Are you ruminating or spending too much time thinking about problems in the state of the world? Do current events tend to rile you up? Check in to see if this could be robbing you of your happiness and enjoyment of life. If so, perhaps take a day every week in which you have a "news-free" / "media-free" day, and instead focus on doing a fun activity which energizes and makes you feel alive.
Do you have fun events to look forward to? (hopefully which include loved ones or friends). Plan activities in which you can share a meal or go out in nature together. Or look for community events which align with your interests (and may give an opportunity to meet new friends). Having something fun to anticipate and look forward to can increase your feeling tone of happiness.
There could be many other ideas for increasing happiness, such as simply taking a moment to feel gratitude for all the good things in your life, or sitting in the sunshine and enjoying the warmth it brings. All of these can be part of creating and living a pleasurable and blessed life.
