It's the single thing people want most in live, but happiness can often be a difficult thing to achieve.
In How to be Happy,
which aired last night on RTÉ One, Psychologist Maureen Gaffney suggested the following tips for people who want to be happier.
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Keep Track
Keep a journal. Pay attention to daily events and track your emotional reaction.
Meditate
It’s not just for hippies! A Harvard study found that meditation can change the structure of the brain so we can experience more positive emotions. When you change your behaviour you rewire your brain. Meditation has been shown to be effective for depression, anxiety and pain.
Be Grateful
Every day write down three reasons you’re grateful and why. Engaging in kindness has a reciprocal affect in that it increases our own happiness.
Write It Down
Write a letter of gratitude and hand it to someone personally. It has a "magical" effect, says Maureen.
Embrace The Outdoors
Get close to nature.
Give A Little More
Give money to someone or to charity. You’ll be happier than if you spend it on yourself. Even a small amount of money spent on someone else can have a big impact on happiness, says Michael Norton of Harvard Business School.
Act/React
Do five acts of random kindness a day – these activate reward circuits in the brain making you happier and also calming the stress response.
If you missed How To Be Happy, you can still see it on the RTÉ Player
here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpTeYvQvU4U&feature=youtu.be
