C'mon get happy...

Be happy now – five things to do today

1. Connect
Delight in putting your time and energy into friends loved ones, and connect with those around you. Take your neighbour some flowers out of your garden, invite your friends for round for a cuppa, or join a local group who shares your interests.

2. Be Active
There’s nothing better to shake off a bad mood than getting physical. When you feel really pent up and about to explode, go and pound the pavement, clean vigorously, sprint like there’s no tomorrow or dance like you don’t give a damn. Relax as your shoulders stop hugging your ears, your mind focuses on something else and your breathing slows to calm your whole body. Soon you’ll be wondering what all the fuss was about, feeling serene and have a smile on your face.

3. Take notice
Have you stopped to appreciate the changing of the seasons? Have you noticed how crunchy the leaves are when you walk on them? It sounds simple, even childish, but do you remember how much fun it used to be, walking to school, stomping on the leaves and jumping in the puddles, rather than hurrying along, eyes to the ground, oblivious to nature and all it’s beauty.

4. Keep learning
Curiosity didn’t kill the cat, and you can teach an old dog new tricks, especially beneficial as older people show better health outcomes when they keep learning. It’s not just about formal learning, you don’t have to do any exams or write any essays if you don’t want to. Try learning a new recipe, the names of the stars and constellations, or how to make your own clothes.

5. Give
Our compassion, generosity and altruism contribute to our level of happiness. In his TED talk, The Happy Planet Index, Nic Marks cites studies where two groups of people were given $100 at the start of the day. One group was told to spend it on themselves, and the other group was told to spend it on others. Guess who gained a much better sense of wellbeing and was happiest at the end of the day? The people who spent it on others of course!

6. Be thankful *
Instead of focusing on what you haven’t got, be thankful for what you have got. Everyone reading this has a computer (or at least access to one), so I can therefore safely assume you have a roof over your head, a bed to sleep in, food in your belly and a license for your telly…
* No. 6 is a Bessie Bonus