5/25/2026

Have you ever felt contentment? What does it feel like for you?

As I noted in my two previous blogs, happiness can be elusive; the more we chase it, the more it can slip away. Yet, there is a growing body of research that shows that, though contentment is different from happiness, it is a distinct low arousal positive emotion is characterized by a sense of calmness, sufficiency, and acceptance of now.

According to Jacqueline Pearce, contentment means to be happy with what you have, who you are, and where you are. It is respecting the reality of the present. It is appreciating what you do have and where you are in life.

Contentment for me is being comfortable and appreciating the moment in which I am present. I am not thinking of anything else. I am not rushed. There is no anxiety. I am relaxed, at peace for what my life is at that time. I often feel this contentment when I am researching and writing my weekly blog posts.

Researchers like Daniel Cordaro and Dachner Keltner describe contentment as a deep sense of inner peace and satisfaction with oneself and one’s life.

Whereas other emotions require external input, contentment is different. It is sourced solely from within. Contentment comes from our relationship to what is going on around us, rather than our reaction to it.

According to Cordaro, contentment as the knowledge that things are okay exactly as they are, right now. According to his joint research paper, contentment is an emotion that arises when a person holistically perceives the present situation as whole and enough.

“The root of the word contentment comes from the Latin contentus, which means ‘held together’ or ‘intact, whole,’ ” wrote Cordaro, adding, “there are a couple of questions to consider asking yourself – How whole do you feel inside? How complete are you as a human being?”

According to Dr. Kelly-Ann Allen, new research points to contentment and self-acceptance as being deeply intertwined. Contentment is a distinct low-arousal positive emotion linked to feeling “enough.”

Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe commented in her column that contentment is an inside job. Do not rob yourself by deferring happiness, e.g., “I will be happy someday, when I…

• …land this job or get this promotion.
• …lose ten pounds.
• …have earned x amount of dollars and feel secure.

“Tying happiness to the next achievement or milestone can keep us in a constant chase,” wrote Hanley-Dafoe, adding, Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar calls this “arrival fallacy” which is an illusion that reaching a destination or goal will bring permanent happiness, or that happiness lies on the other side of the next milestone.

Siddhartha Gautama, also known as Gautama Buddha, is famously known to have said, “Health is the greatest gift; contentment is the greatest wealth.”

You can activate your good hormones with everyday actions such as oxytocin, dopamine, serotonin, endorphins through feeling contentment.

According to research behind Cordaro’s 2024 study Contentment and Self-Acceptance: Wellbeing Beyond Happiness, a series of six studies found that contentment is differentiated from happiness, joy, and other high arousal positive states. Contentment offers an alternative approach to well-being concluded Cordaro.

“While joy is a peak, contentment is an ongoing feeling of completeness. We view our present situation as enough and entire; we are satisfied that we have all we need. Contentment activates the parasympathetic nervous system which soothes and relaxes the body,” wrote Alan McLean, psychologist.

Although contentment is a newer area to be studied by psychologists, contentment itself is an idea that is centuries old according to Allen.

Buddhist traditions have understood that contentment is a fundamental quality for easing suffering and cultivating inner freedom commented Allen. Buddhist teachings encourage quiet satisfaction with what is present.

Health, contentment, and trust are your greatest possessions. And freedom your greatest joy —.Gautama Buddha

According to recent research, contentment has shown to do the following:

• Broaden and build positive emotions that expand perspective, creativity, and psychological resources.
• Supports both hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing. Hedonic wellbeing refers to feeling good. Eudaimonic wellbeing refers to living well such as having purpose and meaning in one’s life.
• Linked to unconditional self-acceptance. Those who experience more contentment also tend to have higher levels of self-acceptance. Self-acceptance offers a solid foundation.
• Protects against the emotional rollercoaster. Experiencing high arousal states like joy, pride or excitement can be fleeting. Contentment is more sustainable.
• Can be cultivated. Experimental studies have shown participants that contentment is learnable, it is not a fixed state.

If you choose contentment, you can:

• Feel grounded.
• Be present, notice the moments of “enoughness.”
• Savor small experiences, like the taste of food, the sunshine, and the quietness of morning.
• Accept rather than judge. As individuals, we can shift from “I need to be better” to “I can grow and still be enough.”
• Create small rituals of calm. This can include slow breathing, stretching, walks in nature, and slow movements like a Tai Chi practice.

What things make you feel content?

Resources:

Image by jcomp on Magnific Image retrieved on 5/24/2026 from https://www.magnific.com/free-photo/summer-happy-countryside-fun-natural_1150327.htm

Allen, Ph.D., Kelly-Anne. “A Different Kind of Happiness: The Quiet Power of Contentment.” 11/20/2025. Retrieved on 5/24/2026 from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sense-of-belonging/202511/a-different-kind-of-happiness-the-quiet-power-of-contentment

Cordaro, Daniel. “What If You Pursued Contentment Rather Than Happiness?” Greater Good Magazine. 5/27/2020. Retrieved on 5/23/2026 from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_if_you_pursued_contentment_rather_than_happiness

Cordaro, Daniel T., Yang Bai, Christina M Bradley. “Contentment and Self-acceptance: Well-being Beyond Happiness.” Research paper. 2/2/2024. Volume 25, article number 15. Retrieved on 5/23/2026 from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10902-024-00729-8

Daskal, Lolly. “Contentment is an Inside Job.” Retrieved on 5/23/2026 from https://www.lollydaskal.com/leadership/contentment-is-an-inside-job/

Georgiadis, Fotis. “Happiness is an Inside Job; If we’re not happy within ourselves, Life can be pretty miserable.” 9/20/2019. Retrieved on https://medium.com/authority-magazine/happiness-is-an-inside-job-if-were-not-happy-within-ourselves-life-can-be-pretty-miserable-3a104c251b73

Hanley-Dafoe, Ed. D, Robyne. “Contentment is an Inside Job.” 7/11/2025. Retrieved on 5/1/2026 from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/everyday-resilience/202507/contentment-is-an-inside-job

McLean, Alan. “The Happiness Loop-Deepening Joy & Contentment.” 4/3/2025. Retrieved on 5/24/2026 from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/happiness-loop-deepening-joy-contentment-alan-mclean-mye7e/

Pearce, MS. ED, LMHC, Jacqueline. “The Essence of Contentment: How Acceptance Promotes Happiness.” 9/11/2019. Retrieved on 5/24/2026 from https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/the-essence-of-contentment-how-acceptance-promotes-happiness-0911194