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Health

18th Jun 2014

How To Be Happy – Seven Ways to Make Your Life Better

If you need a helping hand when it comes to being happy....

Her

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.