"What's the point; happiness is overrated," you may think. Think again.

Happy people are more productive, more willing and collaborative, more creative and eager to take initiative and solve problems, have fewer sick days, attract happy customers, are nicer to be with, and make for a happier workplace.

Unhappiness sucks the life out of us. It brings stress, tiredness, sickness and ultimately kills us. Happy people make your life easier. They are more energizing to be around. They inspire you to be a better and happier person yourself.

What blind spots hinder happiness? Which of these hold you back?

  1. Dismissing the importance of happiness
  2. Misunderstanding the nature of happiness and its deeper levels
  3. Not recognizing what makes you happy
  4. Refusing to recognize the degree to which you are influenced by whether people around you are happy or unhappy
  5. The Absence of one of the 20 Elements of Happiness

We'll spare you the immense body of scientific research and discovery about the value of happiness, but there is plenty of evidence in case you need scientific validation in order to be happy.

Below are 20 essential elements you will find with people who describe themselves as happy. If you consider yourself a happy person, chances are many of these are already present in your life. If you would describe yourself as unhappy, this can help you identify the elements that are absent in your life. You can then choose to cultivate and develop these elements if you decide it's important to increase your happiness.

The happiness elements

Read through each of the 20 elements. Reflect on how you are doing with each of them to get a sense of your happiness profile. Grade yourself on a scale of 0 to 5 with each element: 5 represents a sense of being very fulfilled and feeling that this describes your situation very well and 0 represents the total absence of this statement in your life.

The Happiness Profile

  1. Relationships: You find open communication in enriching relationships.
    2. 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
  2. Meaning: You enjoy and find meaning in your work and in what you do with your time.
    3. 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
  3. Intimacy: You enjoy a rich and satisfying engagement with another person.
    4. 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
  4. Curiosity: You are interested in new things, and passionate about new knowledge and experience.
    5. 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
  5. Contribution: You make a difference where you are; you help people.
    6. 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
  6. Trust: You have someone who trusts you and believes in you.
    7. 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
  7. Resilience: You have been able to bounce back, to recover from setbacks.
    8. 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
  8. Freedom: You choose what you want to do, and where, when and with whom you want to do it.
    9. 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
  9. Family: You are close with your family; you stay in touch and support each other.
    10. 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
  10. Health: You make healthy choices, eat healthy and feel fit.
    11. 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
  11. Laughter: You see the humorous side of life and you enjoy a good laugh.
    12. 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
  12. Optimism: You see problems as temporary and focus on positive outcomes.
    13. 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
  13. Productive: You are productive; you take action and accomplish what you set out to do.
    14. 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
  14. Legacy: You are able to pass on value and knowledge to your children and/or other people.
    15. 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
  15. Physical: You exercise and regularly engage in physical activity.
    16. 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
  16. Integrity: You keep promises; you are as good as your word and act on your values.
    17. 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
  17. Respect: You have high self-esteem; you keep your self-respect.
    18. 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
  18. Saying No: You are able to say no without feeling guilt.
    19. 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
  19. Supportive Environment: You organize your environment to support what you do.
    20. 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
  20. Grateful: You feel grateful for what you have and for what you are able to do.
    21. 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.