--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Happiness can seem like an abstract…" description: "\"Happiness can seem like an abstract, transcendent notion, but in fact, I found that getting enough sleep (very important!!), getting exercise, not lett..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/818/gretchen-rubin-867_abstract_happiness-can-seem-like-an-abstract-tran_1012006.png" --- # Happiness can seem like an abstract, transcendent notion… ![“Happiness can seem like an abstract, transcendent notion, but in fact, I found that getting enough sleep (very important!!), getting exercise, not letting myself get too hungry, not letting myself get too cold (I'm a person who is always cold), made a big difference. Partly because I felt happier…” quote by Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/818/gretchen-rubin-867_abstract_happiness-can-seem-like-an-abstract-tran_1012006.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/818/gretchen-rubin-867_abstract_happiness-can-seem-like-an-abstract-tran_1012006.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/818/gretchen-rubin-867_abstract_happiness-can-seem-like-an-abstract-tran_1012006.png) > “Happiness can seem like an abstract, transcendent notion, but in fact, I found that getting enough sleep (very important!!), getting exercise, not letting myself get too hungry, not letting myself get too cold (I'm a person who is always cold), made a big difference. Partly because I felt happier, partly because feeling physically comfortable makes it easier to keep other difficult happiness-boosting resolutions like biting my tongue.” [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Physical well‑being—sleep, exercise, nutrition, temperature—creates a foundation that makes happiness easier to achieve and sustain. **In simple terms:** Taking care of your body boosts happiness. Key Takeaway Prioritize basic health habits. Themes health happiness self‑care Mood optimistic practical Type advice self‑help When to use this quote - daily routine - stress management - goal setting Key Concepts well‑being habit formation physiological comfort Questions to Reflect On - How do your physical habits affect your mood? - What small change could improve your comfort? A Different Perspective Neglecting mental health can undermine physical benefits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abstract](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstract/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Biting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biting/) [Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) [Comfortable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comfortable/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Difficult Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-happiness-516515/) [Easier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easier/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Enough sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough-sleep/) [Exercise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exercise/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt/) [Felt Happier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt-happier-2204447/) [Found](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/found/) [Happier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happier/) [Happier Partly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happier-partly-2204446/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happiness Boosting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-boosting-1090922/) [Hungry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hungry/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Notion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/notion/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Resolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resolution/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep/) [Tongue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tongue/) [Transcendent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transcendent/) ## Related quotes > [“I think it worthy of note that I never felt happier in my life - despite sorrow for Father, pity for Rose, embarrassment about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dodie-smith/i-think-it-worthy-of-note-that-i-never-felt-happier-in-my-life/) [Dodie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dodie-smith/) > [Showing gratitude for the good things you have is the most powerful happiness boosting activity there is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-barker/showing-gratitude-for-the-good-things-you-have-is-the-most-powerful/) [Eric Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-barker/) > [It is difficult to find happiness within oneself, but it is impossible to find it anywhere else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/it-is-difficult-to-find-happiness-within-oneself-but-it-is-impossible/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [There is nothing so difficult to describe as happiness. Whether some feeling of envy enters into the mind upon hearing of it, or whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-caroline-lamb/there-is-nothing-so-difficult-to-describe-as-happiness-whether-some/) [Lady Caroline Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-caroline-lamb/) > [When I'm silent didnt get enough sleep. eaiting for something to be over. dont have nothing to talk about. over thinking/over analyzing a situation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patience/when-i-m-silent-didnt-get-enough-sleep-eaiting-for-something-to-be/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patience/) > [Just as important as getting enough sleep is thinking about sleep in the right way. Stop thinking of sleep and naps as “downtime” or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-restak/just-as-important-as-getting-enough-sleep-is-thinking-about-sleep-in/) [Richard Restak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-restak/) > [You have to eat well, drink enough water and get enough sleep to look your best, and no fancy creams will substitute that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laila-rouass/you-have-to-eat-well-drink-enough-water-and-get-enough-sleep-to-look/) [Laila Rouass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laila-rouass/) > [I sleep to much, Parents complain. Don't get enough sleep, Parents complain. I eat too much, Parents complain. I don't eat enough, Parents complain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-sleep-to-much-parents-complain-don-t-get-enough-sleep-parents/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When I don't get enough sleep or I'm really stressed out, it always shows through my skin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dahyun/when-i-don-t-get-enough-sleep-or-i-m-really-stressed-out-it-always/) [Dahyun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dahyun/) > [Mood reflects the biology of the brain. How you feel is affected by the chemicals in the brain, and these are the same chemicals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-miller/mood-reflects-the-biology-of-the-brain-how-you-feel-is-affected-by/) [Liz Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-miller/) > [A common denominator among big guys like me who are trying to take care of our health is that we're not getting enough sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/a-common-denominator-among-big-guys-like-me-who-are-trying-to-take/) [Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/) > [In times of life crisis, whether wild fires or smoldering stress, the first thing I do is go back to basics... am I eating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albert/in-times-of-life-crisis-whether-wild-fires-or-smoldering-stress-the/) [Edward Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albert/) > [Not being able to get enough sleep because of that ONE person on your mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/not-being-able-to-get-enough-sleep-because-of-that-one-person-on-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Along with enough sleep and taking proper supplements, I steam - in my steam shower. I find it's very healing, more than just your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idina-menzel/along-with-enough-sleep-and-taking-proper-supplements-i-steam-in-my/) [Idina Menzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idina-menzel/) > [When I don't get enough sleep, I am cranky, vulnerable to headaches, and my concentration is poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siri-hustvedt/when-i-don-t-get-enough-sleep-i-am-cranky-vulnerable-to-headaches-and/) [Siri Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siri-hustvedt/) ## More by Gretchen Rubin > [“Second Splendid Truth One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy. One of the best ways to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/second-splendid-truth-one-of-the-best-ways-to-make-yourself-happy-is/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [Knowing what you admire in others is a wonderful mirror into your deepest, as yet unborn, self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/knowing-what-you-admire-in-others-is-a-wonderful-mirror-into-your/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [Being taken for granted is an unpleasant but sincere form of praise. Ironically, the more reliable you are and the less you complain, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/being-taken-for-granted-is-an-unpleasant-but-sincere-form-of-praise/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [“one Secret of Adulthood is “Never start a sentence with the words ‘No offense’”? “And”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/one-secret-of-adulthood-is-never-start-a-sentence-with-the-words-no/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [One of the findings that really interests me is that, although we think we ACT because of the way we FEEL, we often FEEL…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/one-of-the-findings-that-really-interests-me-is-that-although-we/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [We all want to get along well with other people, and one way to do this is to help people feel good about themselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/we-all-want-to-get-along-well-with-other-people-and-one-way-to-do/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [During my study of happiness, I noticed something that surprised me: I often learn more from one person's highly idiosyncratic experiences than I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/during-my-study-of-happiness-i-noticed-something-that-surprised-me-i/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [There is a preppy wabi-sabi to soft, faded khakis and cotton shirts, but it's not nice to be surrounded by things that are worn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/there-is-a-preppy-wabi-sabi-to-soft-faded-khakis-and-cotton-shirts/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [“There are times in the lives of most of us,” observed William Edward Hartpole Lecky, “when we would have given all the world to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/there-are-times-in-the-lives-of-most-of-us-observed-william-edward/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [“I started thinking more about music. I thought I'd accepted the fact that, as part of "Being Gretchen," I didn't really like music, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/i-started-thinking-more-about-music-i-thought-i-d-accepted-the-fact/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [If you've had something for more than six months, and it's still not repaired, it's clutter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/if-you-ve-had-something-for-more-than-six-months-and-it-s-still-not/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [“The pleasure of doing the same thing, in the same way, every day, shouldn't be overlooked. The things I do every day take on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/the-pleasure-of-doing-the-same-thing-in-the-same-way-every-day/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [Although we often assume that feelings inspire actions, in fact, actions also inspire feelings. By pushing myself to act happier, I make myself feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/although-we-often-assume-that-feelings-inspire-actions-in-fact/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [I love finding - or inventing - ways to categorize people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/i-love-finding-or-inventing-ways-to-categorize-people/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [“After someone's death, how strange to see the value drain away from his or her possessions; useful objects such as clothes, or dish towels,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/after-someone-s-death-how-strange-to-see-the-value-drain-away-from/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) [Explore all 346 Gretchen Rubin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) ## More Abstract quotes > [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Wisdom is the abstract of the past, but beauty is the promise of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wisdom-is-the-abstract-of-the-past-but-beauty-is-the-promise-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Where human eyes have never seen, where human beings have never been, I build a world of abstract dreams, and I wait for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-ra/where-human-eyes-have-never-seen-where-human-beings-have-never-been-i/) [Sun Ra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-ra/) > [A little too abstract, a little too wise, It is time for us to kiss the earth again, It is time to let the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robinson-jeffers/a-little-too-abstract-a-little-too-wise-it-is-time-for-us-to-kiss-the/) [Robinson Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robinson-jeffers/) > [“Happy is very abstract, you can't touch it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-veal/happy-is-very-abstract-you-can-t-touch-it/) [Julius Veal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-veal/) > [Abstract Expressionism was invented by New York drunks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/abstract-expressionism-was-invented-by-new-york-drunks/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [The more horrible this world (as today, for instance), the more abstract our art, whereas a happy world brings forth an art of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-klee/the-more-horrible-this-world-as-today-for-instance-the-more-abstract/) [Paul Klee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-klee/) > [Describing comic sensibility is near impossible. It's sort of an abstract silliness, that sometimes the joke isn't the star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-carvey/describing-comic-sensibility-is-near-impossible-it-s-sort-of-an/) [Dana Carvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-carvey/) > [For people of color - especially African Americans - the idea that racist cops might frame members of their community is no abstract notion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/for-people-of-color-especially-african-americans-the-idea-that-racist/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [The word of the Lord never comes to us as an opinion, no attempt is made to support it by argument, it comes as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-w-ivins/the-word-of-the-lord-never-comes-to-us-as-an-opinion-no-attempt-is/) [Anthony W. Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-w-ivins/) > [A mobile is an abstract sculpture made chiefly out of sheet metal, steel rods, wire and wood. Some or all of these elements move,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-calder/a-mobile-is-an-abstract-sculpture-made-chiefly-out-of-sheet-metal/) [Alexander Calder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-calder/) > [I'm this superphilosophical kind of person. Stuck in a prison of abstract ideas and overpowering emotions, I have this personality that makes it really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natsuo-kirino/i-m-this-superphilosophical-kind-of-person-stuck-in-a-prison-of/) [Natsuo Kirino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natsuo-kirino/) > [Future lawyers should be more aware that law is not a system of abstract logic, but the web of arrangements, rooted in history but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-frankfurter/future-lawyers-should-be-more-aware-that-law-is-not-a-system-of/) [Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/) > [The trouble is that when you read criticisms about the other films that I've made you get the impression that they're all about themes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/the-trouble-is-that-when-you-read-criticisms-about-the-other-films/) [Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) > [Painting is... a richer language than words... Painting operates through signs which are not abstract and incorporeal like words. The signs of painting are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-dubuffet/painting-is-a-richer-language-than-words-painting-operates-through/) [Jean Dubuffet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-dubuffet/) [Browse all 1,403 Abstract quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstract/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Happiness can seem like an abstract, transcendent notion, but in fact, I found that getting enough sleep (very important!!), getting exercise, not letting myself get too hungry, not letting myself get too cold (I'm a person who is always cold), made a big difference. 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