Can anyone really stay happy all the time?

Can you be truly happy all the time? (Photo: iStock)

There are people who, regardless of the circumstance, whether facing marital challenges or enduring minor personal disappointments, always maintain an unyielding, radiant positivity. They dismiss sadness, anxiety or frustration as simply ‘’bad vibes,’’ literally advocating for a state of unending bliss.

This relentless pursuit and often performance of perpetual happiness begs a necessary psychological curiosity: Is it truly possible or even healthy to always be happy?

The long answer is complex and debatable, but fundamentally, the attempt to sustain continuous joy is not only unrealistic but often counterproductive to emotional health.

Happiness, in its normal and healthy form, is not a fixed destination but a transient emotional state often defined by feelings of contentment, satisfaction and pleasure. Let that sink in.

Psychologists describe it as an adaptive mechanism often linked to moments of achievement, connection or safety. Notably, a healthy emotional life is made up of variables. Emotions are data points that signal whether our needs are being met or if a challenge requires attention.

Therefore, what would be considered normal happiness is the capacity to experience joy alongside the entire spectrum of human emotion, including sadness, anger and anxiety, without feeling threatened by them.

The drive for constant happiness, however, can mask a deeper psychological issue in this case, emotional avoidance. When someone attempts to suppress or deny negative feelings and believes that any deviation from joy indicates personal failure, they are engaging in a form of emotional distortion.

This denial of reality can be detrimental, as negative emotions often hold vital information necessary for growth and safety. For instance, anxiety could signal potential danger and sadness a loss that requires processing. Ignoring these necessary emotions hinders coping mechanisms, putting you in peril.

And the truth is, that state of mandatory and forced positivity is often toxic, and it is not true happiness. It is highly likely a psychological defence mechanism where one invalidates genuine feelings to adhere to an unattainable ideal.

To cultivate a healthy and natural form of happiness, the focus should shift from intensity to stability and acceptance. This involves practising emotional agility by allowing yourself to feel uncomfortable emotions without judgment. Secondly, focus on meaning and purpose rather than fleeting pleasure and maintain realistic expectations about life’s inherent challenges.

So, true emotional well-being starts by accepting the entire emotional landscape as normal, which it is, and necessary by recognising that contentment is the answer against which moments of intense joy briefly get to shine.