25 ways to be happy

Life is full of ups and downs. In order to experience happiness, you must experience other emotions, including sadness and anger, to some degree nearly everyday.

1Change your thinking. Live every day as if it is you last. We should remember that there might not be a later.

2Keep a journal. Write an ongoing list of the good things that happen to you everyday.

3Get some perspective on things. Think about how you would like to be remembered and what you might tell your grandchildren about your life.

4Don’t let the small stuff bug you. Wasting your energy by getting upset about life’s many minor irritations is not worth it.

5Do any unpleasant or difficult chores that need doing. Do them now. Procrastination drains your energy and burdens your mind. If you are thinking and worrying about something that need to be done, you might as well be doing it.

6Change your routine. Life can begin to seem like a bit of chore if we do the same thing everyday, week after week. We need to create interest in our lives, and to do new things.

7Don’t try to keep up with others. So, your neighbors have a larger home, the latest stereo system, a new car – who cares? Look again. He works on the weekends, and they never seem to see friends. Who’s better off, really?

8Have a big clean out and divest yourself of useless “stuff”. Clean up! Your desk, your room to free yourself from things that only clutter your space – this in effect improved you feng shui of your home.

9Learn to say No. You don’t have to do it. Your life is already to busy and you are running from one thing to another. Give yourself some space to think and time to do something for yourself.

10Remember to love your partner for who he or she is. Have they really changed so much? Or (think about it!) might he/she actually be the same person that you fell in love with? The relationship might need some work – everything needs some repair work or maintenance after a few years of running – but the parts should still be in working order.

11Don’t let familiarity breed contempt. Your partner and family deserve at least the same consideration you give your friends. And you deserve the same from them.

12Tell your partner, family and friends that you love them. Tell them what you love about them. Tell them when they do things well. A little praise never hurts and before you know it, you might be told that you’ve done things well too. You never know…

13Are you always a shoulder to lean on for troubled friends? It may be hard, but if their problems are beginning to affect you, then you need to try not to be quite so available all the time. They need to address their problems and get on with their lives.

14Phone, e-mail even write to some old friends. You’ve lost touch, but it needn’t be forever.

15Enhance your mood with greenery. Cut some fresh flowers from your garden – or get up early, head to the markets and fill your home with loads of cheap flowers, fruits and vegetables. This fills the house with life and vitality.

16Go to the beach. The long views, the wind, the waves, bare feet in the sand, sun on the back – there is nothing so good for the soul.

17Create something. Paint, sculpt, sew, bake, garden – anything. Do something you’ve never done before. Anything.

18Breathe fresh air. Go outside or open the windows. Breathe deeply to the bottom of your lungs and feel the stale air leaves you.

19Go for a walk. This gentle exercise will renew and invigorate you physically and mentally on your first outing. Take it up regularly and you'll feel better everyday.

20Rent a funny video and have a good laugh. Laughter has always been the best medicine. Surely, it never fails.

21Move your furniture and ornaments around, change rooms, paint walls. It's true, a change is as good as a holiday.

22Give yourself something to look forward to. Book a holiday, a night out, a massage, a road trip with college friends.

23Invite friends over for dinner. Get everyone to dress up, and decorate the room and the table. Greet everyone with cocktails or champagne and have music playing. Spend time thinking about planning the menu, enjoy the shopping and cooking.

24Smile. Smiling is contagious – try it and see. Smile and everyone else will smile with you, will smile for you. =)

25Make someone else's day happier. It may sound a bit corny, but why not? Start by suppressing the urge to blast your horn at the slow driver ahead. Or you could make a positive move by volunteering your time for a charity.