10 Keys to Happier Living

In case you missed it, Monday 20th March marked the official International Day of Happiness!

Ok, so Mondays and happiness don’t usually go together, but the day also marked the beginning of spring and with it the return of the sunshine! To celebrate, we want to challenge everyone to help spread happiness to the people around them.

Action for Happiness; a movement of people committed to building a happier and more caring society, identify 10 keys to happier living…

 

Do things for others

Helping others is proven to make us happier and healthier.

Studies show that those who take part in meaningful activities, are happier and feel more purpose in their lives, compared to those who pursue only pleasure-seeking activities (activities for their own benefit).

So the message is simple! If you want to feel good, do good!

 

Connect with people

Close relationships with family and friends provide love, meaning, and increase our feelings of self-worth.

Social relationships bring a sense of belonging and are essential for happiness and fulfilment. Build a connection or strengthen the relationship with someone who may need it – the benefits could be more than you think!

 

Take care of your body

Our body and mind are connected. Being active makes us happier as well as being good for our physical health.

We don't all need to run marathons - there are simple things we can do to take care of our bodies, like drink enough water, get plenty of sleep, and be more active!

Physical activity whether it is gardening, cleaning the house, or walking to the shops all contributes to our sense of wellbeing.

 

Learn new things

Learning affects our happiness and wellbeing in lots of positive ways.

Learning exposes us to new ideas and helps us stay curious and engaged. It also gives us a sense of accomplishment and boosts our self-confidence and resilience.

With the Internet at our fingertips, there are countless ways to learn and pick up new skills. Whether it is drawing, knitting, writing, or a new language! Do a search and see what you can find!

 

Set goals

Feeling good about the future is important for happiness.

A good goal is one that challenges us and excites us, but must also be achievable. Your goal could be to do more exercise, read more books, explore more places, or wake up earlier!

Choosing realistic goals gives us direction and a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction when we achieve them.

 

Look for the positives

Experiencing positive emotions like joy, gratitude, contentment, inspiration, and pride creates an upward trend that contributes to our happiness.

Of course we must be realistic about life's ups and downs, but the glass half full approach is important if we want to be happy.

This is especially true if we consider how our attitude influences others.

 

Be comfortable with who you are

No-one's perfect. Dwelling on our flaws - what we're not rather than what we've got, makes it much harder to be happy.

Accepting ourselves and being kinder when things aren’t going our way is a sure fire way to increase enjoyment and happiness.

As soon as we are able to accept ourselves, the sooner we can accept others!

 

Live life mindfully

Ever felt there must be more to life? Well there is, and it's right here in front of us. We just need to stop and take notice.

Learning to be more mindful and aware can do wonders for our happiness and wellbeing in all areas of life.

Don’t dwell on the past or worry about the future, stay in tune with the here and now and you will notice the change.

 

Find a way to bounce back

We all have times of stress, loss, failure or trauma in our lives. It’s how we respond to these events that can have a lasting impact on our happiness.

We often cannot choose what happens to us, but we can choose our own attitude to what happens. Our resilience is one of our greatest strengths, and its positivity will not go unnoticed by others.

 

Be part of something bigger

People who have meaning and purpose in their lives are generally happier, and feel more in control. They also experience less stress, anxiety and depression.

We might find meaning and purpose in faith, being a parent, or doing a job that makes a difference to people’s lives. The answers vary, but they all involve being connected to something bigger than us.

 

Sometimes it’s the smallest changes that can make the biggest difference to somebody’s happiness!

It’s part of the reason all of our products come with FREE delivery and 12-month warranty, as well as unlimited after sales care.