| How to Be Happy -20 Tips That Really | | | | diets with the building blocks of |
| Work! from Michelle Rowley,author of | | | | protein- amino-acids. |
| "Personal Growth Strategies". | | | | Tip 11 Go, go and keep going all the |
| Tip 1 Have a positive attitude. One of | | | | way. We all face obstacles and problems |
| the most significant, contributing | | | | at times. Happy people expect this and |
| factors to happiness is optimistic | | | | adapt to them. All of the components |
| thinking. Although you won't always have | | | | outlined above are skills that can be |
| a choice in determining what goes on | | | | learned. Just like any other skills, |
| around you, you will always have a | | | | you'll get better at utilizing these |
| choice in determining how react to what | | | | strategies with practice and |
| goes on around you. This will largely | | | | perseverance. Stick at it and happiness |
| determine the extent to which you are, | | | | will be yours. |
| or aren't happy. | | | | Tip 12 Focus on your strengths, not |
| Tip 2 Make happiness a priority. If | | | | weaknesses. Work out what you're good at |
| happiness is not at the top of your list | | | | and find ways to do it as much as |
| then other things will take your focus. | | | | possible. Happiness is not as much about |
| We become what we think about all day, | | | | fixing your faults and overcoming your |
| so think, positive happy thoughts. It's | | | | weaknesses as it is about finding ways |
| a choice, moment by moment. | | | | to focus your life on and around your |
| Tip 3 Live your values. Be true to | | | | talents and qualities. |
| yourself. By living your life according | | | | Tip 13 Have fun and enjoy humor Take |
| to your values, you will develop an | | | | delight in life and create fun |
| attitude of true acceptance of yourself. | | | | experiencesfor yourself. Don't make life |
| You will realize that you are fine the | | | | be too heavy! |
| way you are. You may choose to make some | | | | Tip 14 Control what you can control. |
| changes in your life simply because you | | | | Cultivate the feeling that you are in |
| realize that you have greater potential | | | | control of your own destiny. Happiness |
| than you have utilized so far. | | | | can be enhanced by maximizing the |
| Tip 4 Love Yourself. High self-esteem is | | | | control you have over your life. So |
| crucial for a happy life. Healthy | | | | learn and practice skills such as |
| self-esteem means relying on what's on | | | | problem solving, time management and |
| the inside, rather than what's happening | | | | meditation and communication. At the |
| in the outside world to make you happy. | | | | same time, however, no one has complete |
| Self-esteem is the core of your power | | | | control and so it is also important to |
| and all else stems from this. | | | | be realistic and to accept that over |
| Tip 5 Set goals for success. Give your | | | | which you have no control. Accept what |
| mind a positive goal to focus on. Just | | | | youcan't control. And learn to change |
| like in any other life area, the | | | | problems into opportunities for growth |
| successful pursuit of happiness requires | | | | and development. |
| planning. Planning requires effective | | | | Tip 15 Invest time and energy in to your |
| goal setting. And don't forget to make | | | | key relationships. Happy people spend |
| sure your goals are SMART | | | | more time working on, and in, their |
| (specific,measurable, achievable, | | | | relationships. Happy people tend to be |
| relevant and timed). | | | | more supportive of other people in their |
| Tip 6 Do things that make you happy. | | | | life. |
| Although this sounds obvious, many | | | | Tip 16 When a problems arises see what |
| people simply forget to do things from | | | | you can learn from itEverything you do |
| which they gain pleasure. And do them as | | | | and every person you meet, in every |
| often as possible. | | | | situation, presents an opportunity to |
| Tip 7 Live in the present moment. | | | | learn, change and grow. Every situation |
| Remember that life is finite. The | | | | you find yourself in can be a great |
| author, Henry Miller once said "Every | | | | opportunity to expand yourself. There is |
| moment is a golden one for him who has | | | | always something to learn from a |
| the vision to recognize it as such. "The | | | | problem. This is the same for problems |
| only moment in which we can truly be | | | | in a relationship. Look at problems as |
| happy is the present moment. The only | | | | challenges to learn and grow from both |
| moment over which we have control is the | | | | for yourselves and your relationship. |
| present moment. So be happy now! Because | | | | Tip 17 Replace negative self talk with |
| if not now, then when? | | | | positive self talkThe Dalai Lama has |
| Tip 8 Have a laugh Laughing is one of | | | | been quoted saying that "The central |
| the quickest ways to send our happiness | | | | method for achieving a happier life is |
| levels soaring. A Stanford University | | | | to train your mind in a daily practice |
| study showed that one minute of laughter | | | | that weakens negative attitudes and |
| equaled 10 minutes on a rowing machine | | | | strengthens positive ones." Learn first |
| in terms of warding off stress. | | | | to identify your negativethoughts and |
| Tip 9 Engage in random acts of kindness. | | | | then begin to challenge those that are |
| Did you know that by simply being kind | | | | negative and unhelpful. |
| to another person or witnessing a kind | | | | Tip 18 Ensure you get adequate sleep, |
| act boosts your serotonin levels in you | | | | rest, exercise and waterListen to your |
| and the other person? It also increases | | | | body and what it is telling you. You |
| the levels in another person witnessing | | | | need to take care of yourself and this |
| the act. Happy people are more generous | | | | also involves getting plenty of rest, |
| and altruistic. | | | | drinking at least 8 glasses of water |
| Tip 10 Eat your way to happiness. Fuel | | | | each day and relaxation and/or |
| up on fish: Fish are high in omega-3s | | | | meditation strategies. Exercise |
| which boost your happiness. Eat complex | | | | regularly. Exercising produces |
| carbohydrates - this means wholegrain | | | | endorphins or "happy" hormones. |
| bread, starchy vegetables, beans and | | | | Tip 19 Develop a sense of life purpose. |
| pulses, and wholegrain cereals. MIT | | | | Developing a sense of life purpose will |
| scientists say these boost the brain's | | | | also markedly increase your chances of |
| levels of serotonin, which plays a big | | | | experiencing true happiness. As well as |
| role in how happy we feel. Take | | | | working out where you want to get to, |
| Tryptophan. Found in turkey, avocados | | | | make sure you have a good reason for why |
| and bananas, tryptophan promotes the | | | | you're trying to go there. |
| production of serotonin. A study | | | | Tip 20 Be grateful and appreciate what |
| published in the journal Brain, Behavior | | | | you have. We all have many choices in |
| and Immunity found a lack of tryptophan | | | | life, one of which is whether to focus |
| can lower your mood levels. Don't forget | | | | on all the things we don't have (of |
| to take a good amino acid supplement- | | | | which theremight be many), or to focus |
| more and more information is coming out | | | | on all the things we do have. |
| that we need to be supplementing our | | | | |