This morning I had a lie in. It was blissful and much-needed. BUT I did do some surfing on the net, read some newspapers online - red top and broadsheet - and found a whole heap of stuff about being happy, what makes us happy, etc, etc on The Guardian's website.
"My research compares happy and unhappy people, and underpinning this is the 40% solution: the degree of happiness it is within our power to change, through how we act and think. I've identified 12 happiness-enhancing activities – things happy people do naturally. They may sound corny, but they're scientifically proven. You don't have to do them all – decide which fit you best. One, express gratitude. Two, cultivate optimism: visualise a future in which everything has turned out the way you want it, then write it down. Three, avoid obsessing over things or paying too much attention to what others are doing. Four, practise acts of kindness – more than you're used to. Five, make time for friends; be supportive and loyal. Six, develop coping strategies: write down your feelings when you're feeling upset and try to see that traumatic events often make us stronger. Seven, learn to forgive. Eight, immerse yourself in activities and be open to new ones. Nine, savour life's joys – linger over a pastry rather than mindlessly consuming it. Ten, work towards meaningful goals. Eleven, practise religion and spirituality. And finally, exercise. You won't see the results from these activities right away: like anything important, you have to work at it."
Sonja Lyubomirsky is professor of psychology, University of California
I've always thought that being happy was a skill. I'm not sure about the 12 steps listed above. Some of them seem like extra chores rather than life-enhancing tricks but certainly exercise, activites and not dwelling on things seem like good advice.
Hope you had a great weekend.
Lesley x
Posted by: Lesley | August 16, 2009 at 07:14 PM