Does Happiness Really Come From Within? This Psychiatrist Says Probably Not

Welcome to the new mbg! We’ve relaunched and realigned ourselves with an evolved mission. Our take on wellness can be summed up in three words: You. We. All. You: You, yourself, are the foundation of wellness. We: We grow our spirit by nurturing our connection to our families, friends, and neighbors. All: All creation on our planet is interwoven and interdependent. To achieve true wellness, we need to nourish ourselves, our communities, and our planet. The time is now—rise with us. You. We. All.

"Happiness comes from within." We hear this sentence all the time, and it's predicated on the belief that if you dig deep enough into yourself, you will figure out who you are and everything else will fall into place. While I agree with the overall message in that you are responsible for your choices, it has become increasingly apparent to me that happiness comes from "with" as much as it comes from "within."

We are social creatures, and our health—both physical and mental—depends on our social relationships. It's well-known that having a shoulder to lean on can help us navigate our way through a difficult time. Less well-known is the research that shows how doing things for others helps buffer against stress. In a research article titled "Prosocial Behavior Helps Mitigate the Negative Effects of Stress in Everyday Life," participants who engaged in "other-focused" behavior, such as holding a door, asking someone if they needed help, and lending a hand, reported better moods and lower daily stress levels than those who didn’t engage in helping behavior.