Savour everyday moments
Pause now and then to smell a rose or watch children at play.
Avoid comparisons
Comparing ourselves with others can be damaging to happiness and self-esteem. Rather focus on your own personal goals.
Savour everyday moments
Pause now and then to smell a rose or watch children at play.
Avoid comparisons
Comparing ourselves with others can be damaging to happiness and self-esteem. Rather focus on your own personal goals.
Put money low on the list
People who put money high on their priority list are more at risk for depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem, according to researchers. This holds true across nations and cultures. Money-seekers also score lower on tests of vitality and self-actualisation.
Have meaningful goals
People who strive for something significant, whether it’s learning a new craft or raising moral children, are far happier than those who don’t have strong dreams or aspirations, researchers say. As humans, we need a sense of meaning to thrive.
Take initiative at work
When we express creativity, help others, suggest improvements, or do additional tasks on the job, we make our work more rewarding and feel more in control.
Make friends, treasure family
Happier people tend to have good families, friends, and supportive relationships, say researchers. But we don’t just need relationships, we need close ones that involve understanding and caring.
Smile even when you don’t feel like it
Happy people see possibilities, opportunities, and success. When they think of the future, they are optimistic, and when they review the past, they tend to savour the high points. Even if you weren’t born looking at the glass as half-full, with practice, a positive outlook can become a habit.
Say thank you like you mean it
Research by Martin Seligman, founder of positive psychology, revealed that people who write “gratitude letters” to someone who made a difference in their lives score higher on happiness, and lower on depression — and the effect lasts for weeks.
Get out and exercise
Studies show that exercise may be just as effective as drugs in treating depression, without all the side effects and expense. Other research shows that in addition to health benefits, regular exercise offers a sense of accomplishment and opportunity for social interaction, releases feel-good endorphins, and boosts self-esteem.
Give it away, give it away now!
Make altruism and giving part of your life, and be purposeful about it. One researcher says helping a neighbour, volunteering, or donating goods and services results in a “helper’s high,” and you get more health benefits than you would from exercise or quitting smoking. Listening to a friend, passing on your skills, celebrating others’ successes, and forgiveness also contribute to happiness.
* Adapted from yesmagazine.org
