Yes, you are right! The title does read ‘Three things to buy to increase your happier!’ However, if you think this article is about buying some delicious food or drink to consume, or some beauty product to make you look super cool or buying a new car or house, forget about it. However, now that I got your attention, I will definitely share with you three ways you can spend money that will indeed make you much happier! So read on till the end of the article!

This article is based on an in-depth study conducted by researchers from Harvard, the University of British Columbia, and Simon Fraser University, who titled their study ‘Prosocial Spending and Buying Time: Money as a Tool for Increasing Subjective Well-Being’

By the time you will finish reading this, you will truly understand that the philosophy of Happiness is not in what we consume… but rather it exists in something much more profound!

1. Buy Experiences!
The study found that if we keep spending money on products that are disposable, we will get trapped in a never-ending cycle of spending money again and again on upgrading or updating these products. Think of it, what product you think is a need today, was considered a luxury not so long ago. Take the mobile phone for example. Up until two decades ago, not many even had a mobile phone and yet you all survived without it. However, today we need to not only have a smartphone but also need to keep paying for expensive upgrades and expensive apps to keep them going. The same principle may be applied to many other products as well.

So rather than spending money on accumulating such disposable products, spend your money on buying experiences! Go on a vacation to a place you have never visited before. Try experiencing nature like hiking, rafting or walking in the forest. Go on a cruise with family or friends and be present during this experience. Take your kids or grandkids to the zoo and interact with the animals. Join a Yoga seminar and nourish your spirit. And rather than document these journies using selfies and constantly posting them on social media, try to let these experiences leave deep imprints in your mind and heart. This will definitely increase your happiness in the long run!

2. Spend money on others!
Many regard social service as only belonging to the rich and powerful, as they make believe that only they can afford it. Many also believe that helping others is a big effort of time, money and energy and offers little in return. The truth cannot be further from this false assumption.

Studies have shown that when you help others, it in fact makes your feel better about yourself. It increases your confidence, adds value to your self-esteem and also makes you happier. Being altruistic is definitely does not deplete energy, but rather increases it. When you offer something to someone, and they receive it, there is an energetic transference that occurs between the receiver and the giver, which vitalises both. Even if the other one does not have the strength or consciousness to offer gratitude, just their receiving your offer will create immense satisfaction with you, provided you are offering without expectations.

And spending money on others does not mean you need to do it in a big way. It can be as small or as big way as you can afford at that time. It is the intention that matters, not the size of the prize. So offer one banana to a cow or a cookie to a dog on the street. Or buy a soup or a t-shirt for a homeless person. Offer water to a thirsty plant or a bird. Spending your money on these small things will also help you be happier.

3. Buy time!
One of the most precious commodities in the world is time. It is also something that once we lose it, we won’t ever retrieve it. Studies have shown that those who are able to buy more time for themselves are much more happier than those who don’t. People make poor investment choices to superficially save money - like, buying an apartment very far from where they work or staying in a hotel that is cheaper, even though it is quite distant from where they want to vacation etc. All these will only lead to greater disappointment as you will spend more time and energy when compared to making smart choices that will save you time.

When you choose options that will offer you more time, you not only will be able to do more out of your life but will also have more energy and presence to enjoy such experiences. This will only increase your joy and hence investing in options that will help you buy time is something you must consider without any hesitation. Remember, everything else in life can only be achieved if you have the time!

When you think about these, you should realise by now that no amount of advertising is reason enough to endlessly buy things that we don’t need, with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like, to make us happier. True happiness does not come through these purchases, but rather through experiences we enjoy in life, through altruistic acts and through having more time to witness life. All of these three reasons are seated in the heart, which is home to the eternal inner light that is always there to guide us. Connect to that through these three means and it can definitely make you happier. Disconnect from them and you have just made a bad investment that will only trap you in the cycle of suffering. The choice is yours!

Let us know through your comments below if any of these resonate with you and if have already started to invest your money wisely into these three areas. If you have not yet done this, start doing so and let us know in a few months how it has been for you!

Namaste!

Dr Kausthub Desikachar

Mental health is very vital for our overall wellbeing. There are many ways you can seek help to deal with mental health issues. Psychotherapy, Psychiatry and Psychoanalysis are the more conventional approaches. However, there are other methods like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) that can also be an effective treatment. However, treatment of mental health needs a holistic approach and should include changes in nutrition, lifestyle etc.

Yoga Therapy has also come to be recognised as an effective complementary treatment to support those with mental health issues. Meditation is among one of the more effective tools of Yoga to strengthen the mind and help alleviate many of the symptoms of mental health issues.

Choose a method that is most suitable to you and that which is easily accessible. No matter which line of healing you choose to pursue, it is important that you don’t delay seeking treatment. Also please note that you are not alone in this journey and there is appropriate help available if you seek it!

Dr. Kausthub Desikachar also assists many clients in their healing journey that includes mental health issues. He offers insightful mentoring through private consultations, which can be taken either face-to-face or online . To book a session with him, kindly visit his private consultations page by clicking here>

If you are curious to know who is Dr Kausthub Desikachar, kindly click here>

Please note: This article is written for educational purposes only and is based on the personal opinion of the author as well as information gathered through research that others have done on these topics. It is not a substitute for professional advice. Rather, it is meant for reflective self-guidance purposes only. We strongly recommend that you always follow your intuition in deciding what is best for you!

We are thrilled to announce a new course for September 2021 titled Empower your Self! The Power of meditation to embody your true nature!

Dr Kausthub Desikachar is the successor and current lineage holder of the classical Yoga tradition of T Krishnamacharya & TKV Desikachar. He is an acclaimed yoga teacher, yoga therapist, healer and spiritual adviser. His objectives include the sharing of the authentic teachings of Yoga to the modern era, as well as building bridges between different healing modalities to promote physical, emotional social and spiritual health.

He is the founder of Viniyoga Pte. Ltd. and also the co-founder of Krishnamacharya Healing & Yoga Foundation, India, and the founder and president of Europe based KHYF International.

Dr Kausthub Desikachar is a champion of women’s empowerment and guides many of his female students to embody their inner strength. To view his interviews with Viniyoga Women, visit this page here - https://www.viniyoga.com.sg/viniyoga-women

He also offers a Mantra blog, where students can listen to different Mantras from the Vedic Tradition. To benefit from this, visit here - https://www.viniyoga.com.sg/mantra

Dr Kausthub Desikachar also assists many clients in their healing journey that includes mental health issues. He regularly writes articles on Mental Health issues and these can be found here - https://www.viniyoga.com.sg/mental-health

Being an amazing Yoga Therapist and Spiritual guide, Dr Kausthub Desikachar also offers insightful mentoring through private consultations, which can be taken either face-to-face or online. To book a session with him, kindly visit his private consultations page by clicking here>

To view his other Yoga teaching page, visit here https://www.kausthub.yoga/

Apart from Yoga Teaching, Kausthub is also an avid photographer, inspirational writer and poet. To view, some of his inspirations, visit the website www.kausthubdesikachar.com