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- Socialise. Having lots of contacts with others is the key to success. One person might give you a really useful idea for work, whilst in other cases you might meet someone really special. It doesn’t matter if you don’t become best friends with everyone that you meet; the main thing is simply to keep in contact. Having a wide circle of acquaintances is a guarantee that you’ll have someone to turn to whatever problem your facing or question you have. Of course, this means you have to be ready to help others as much as they’ll be ready to help you. But that should make you feel great as well.
- Don’t be too modest. If you don’t show initiative and a degree of courage, you could end up being the equivalent of an unused piece of furniture sitting in a dusty corner somewhere for your whole life — despite having a huge number of talents. Promoting yourself and your abilities is a skill which you simply have to acquire if you want to get anywhere in life. There’s nothing shameful in focusing people’s attention on your abilities and successes. People need to understand that you’re successful, so that they know you have the potential to be useful to them as well. The trick is to not let self-promotion turn into arrogance.
- Do what you enjoy. It sounds too simple, but it’s true: you’ll become happier much more easily if you just do what you genuinely like doing, and do it often. Don’t try to do what others demand or expect you to do; there are too many people out there (none of whom are genuinely happy) who waste their whole lives doing what they think society expects them to do. Listen to your own inner thoughts, feelings and hopes, and ignore social pressures. Become yourself, and you’ll find joy.
- Be friends with positive people. The most inspiring kinds of people are the optimists — those whose lives aren’t necessarily perfect, but who nevertheless have the innate ability to look at the challenges life throws at them with humour, and therefore don’t overdramatise any situation. People’s attitudes are affected by others as if by chain reaction. Someone’s bad mood can very easily rub off on you over some trivial matter — that means you should try to stick around with positive people as much as possible. It’s a fact that positive people generally have greater success in both work and relationships. Small, daily moments of joy add up to happiness overall.
- Treat life as a game, which you sometimes win and sometimes lose. Some people ruin their lives by taking it too seriously — it just leads to tension, stress and ultimately failure. Happy people are often the ones who don’t look at things so fatalistically and understand that life is a lottery. Any problem can be seen in a light-hearted way. It’s not always easy to see the funny side of things, but if you can, it helps 100 per cent, deflating the problem like a balloon.
- Think positively. Negative thinking is crippling — it shapes your behaviour, which then affects your thinking, and it becomes a vicious circle. And the saddest thing is people don’t even realise they’re stuck in this negative cycle. The only answer is to think positive, to stop wasting time mulling over your real or imagined failures. There is always something positive you can focus on — as they say, hope springs eternal. That’s the only way out.
- Give yourself credit. Be happy at your successes, no matter how small they might be. We say to ourselves far too much something along the lines of: ’You call that success? That was nothing. Other people have achieved far more than I have.’ Never, ever devalue what you have achieved, otherwise you won’t experience any more achievements. Give yourself credit, and reward yourself in whatever way you like. Psychologists suggest that, should you reward yourself with a present, put it somewhere where you’ll see it every day — this will motivate you to go further.
- Smile. It’s said that even a forced smile can lead to the same feelings as a sincere one, given time. Working those muscles in your face opens up your blood vessels and increases the supply of oxygen to your brain, your body’s cells and your central nervous system. This leads to the production of more endorphins, which make you more optimistic. And of course, talking to a smiling person is always more pleasant than talking to a sad one.
- Don’t get stuck in a rut. Some people find it hard to forget even the tiniest, most insignificant unpleasant experience. This is an innate side to their character which they have to struggle against. It’s important to know how to consciously shift your mood and emotion from negative to positive, and to change your behaviour depending on the circumstances. Don’t get stuck in an orbit around your failures. Look for an alternative perspective on life, and your chances of being happy will increase.
- Laugh more, laugh often. When we laugh, we feel great. This is partly the result of the fact that laughter stimulates the production of certain chemicals, including endorphins, which naturally raise our spirits. When you laugh, you feel better, and when you feel better, there’s a greater chance you will come up with new ideas about how to improve things. The simplest, guaranteed way to do this — just watch a comedy programme which you like.
- Focus on the positive things around you. If you spend large amounts of your time listening to gloomy music or reading about all the bad things going on in the world through the newspapers, don’t count on having a good mood very often. Instead, focus on the positive things around you: all the beautiful things you have, wonderful music, great people you know and love. Only let these good things influence your thoughts, and you’ll be happier and more joyful straight away.
- Eat properly. Don’t get distracted by all those severe diets. Not eating enough leads to fatigue, sluggish concentration, and to apathy. You won’t ever feel better that way. But apart from that, food is also one of the greatest sources of pleasure you can find. Good food can release endorphins as good as anything else. So, don’t starve yourself — eat a lot, and eat well.
- Find an outlet for your creativity. The therapeutic effects of having a hobby have been proved time and again. Whatever it is you like doing — painting, reading, music, dance, sport, craft work — you can enjoy doing it yourself. Engaging in your hobbies reduces stress, helps you to relax, and has a positive effect on your overall health. It’s the ideal method for raising your sense of self-worth and overcoming that sense of self-pity. Creative people are often the happiest — this is due to the amount of endorphins their generating from all that focusing on their hobbies.
- Try something new. Don’t get locked into doing the same old things. Life never stands still, and trying something new might lead to very important, positive changes in your life. If an opportunity appears, why not go for it? Get back into education, change your profession completely. Success most often comes to those who are willing to take a risk. Always say yes to new offers and suggestions, even if you don’t know what exactly it is you’re going to do.
- Lighten your load. Apologise to those you have wronged, pay off your debts, throw out all those things you never use anymore, fulfil all your outstanding tasks and responsibilities. In short, clean up your life and put things in order in the same way you would with your computer. You’ll feel happier and ready for a new start.
- Get more sunshine. How much sunshine you get can affect your mood. People with depression have been known to even get ’light therapy’ because it can affect things so much. Darkness produces more melatonin in your body, which lowers your mood and gives you gloomy thoughts. An extra portion of sunlight can turn this around. So, if the sun is shining, head outside!
- Regularly do something cultural. The arts can have tremendous healing effect on the soul. They drive out your everyday worries and transform your mood. This is because the impressions that creative works have on you increase your brain’s activity, which can act as an impetus for new ideas and the inspiration to realise your plans and dreams. So, head to the theatre or the art gallery — today.
- Stay in touch with nature. Even a short getaway from the city can restore your positive energy. Walk barefoot on the grass, brush your hands over the bark of an old tree, breathe in the scents of the forest, listen to the sounds of the river and the song of the birds, and you’re guaranteed to feel much better. Even a walk in a local park can reduce the level of any negative feelings or thoughts you have and free up internal intellectual, creative and emotional reserves — which you can then channel in the right direction.
- Keep a good luck charm. This could be something as simple as a little plush toy, or a ring. Whatever you had in your possession at happy moments in your life and which you can easily carry with you anywhere at all times. Here the placebo effect can come into play — if you genuinely believe a lucky charm brings you luck, then you’ll be subconsciously motivated to get what you want.
- Accept that you’re lucky. Think about all the things which prove that you’re actually an immensely lucky person. Think about all the you have, and be thankful for it. In actual fact, it just seems like you have no reason to ever be happy or grateful — that’s not really the case. You have a roof over your head; you aren’t going hungry; you’re free to choose your own path in life. And if nothing else, you have been blessed with the gift of life. Think objectively about all the things you should be grateful for, and be grateful! Just understanding how lucky you are is already half the battle on the path to success and happiness. Now you just have to make a bit more effort to reach your destination.
