We must all have reached a relaxation milestone at some point. A holiday or break after a long and tiring project at school or work. Although it might have felt like a mirage floating on the horizon for the preceding months, it arrived. Yet what did you do? After my exams,I spent the first week at parties and gatherings, celebrating the fact there would be no more brightly coloured flashcards, deadlines or exam regulations for me (at least until September).

 

But in the weeks that followed, I found myself(not surprisingly) with very little to do. I could read and sit in the sun and still meet up with the friends who weren’t on holiday but it felt different, as these were no longer tempting rewards after hours of studying but rather the activities that occupied my entire day. For so long, I imagined that I could never feel anything but excitement with only trivial tasks to fill my days, but when the forbidden nature of these ‘fun’ activities was removed, so was part of the enjoyment. Yet perhaps I’m an anomaly. Do humans truly need a purpose to be happy?

 

The museum of happiness lists Purpose as the first P in the pneumonic HAPPY, things which are essential for our wellbeing. However, others would disagree with the necessity of this, for example, it has been proven that sustained happiness has no biological basis and no evolutionary benefits, implying that purpose has little to do with the far off notion of permanent contentment. Researching this on the internet only provides further enigmas, every second website contradicting the first; probably because the answer to this question differs from person to person.

 

Despite this, it cannot be ignored that having jobs to fill our time (and cause us to look forward to a period free of responsibilities)can actually boost happiness. For this reason, my opinion would be that most people are happiest when they have a reason to get up in the morning and go about their lives; whether that be education, a job or childcare.