This is an article from www.actionforhappiness.org and I found it
so incredibly valuable that I wanted to pass it on.
Action for Happiness has developed the 10
Keys to Happier Living based on a review of the latest scientific research
relating to happiness.
Everyone’s path to happiness is different,
but the research suggests these Ten Keys consistently tend to have a positive
impact on people’s overall happiness and well-being. The first five (GREAT)
relate to how we interact with the outside world in our daily activities*. (* The first five keys are based on the Five Ways to
Wellbeing developed
by nef as part of the UK Government's
Foresight Project on Mental Capital.)
The second five (DREAM) come
more from inside
us and depend
on our attitude to life.
GIVING - Do things for others
RELATING - Connect with people
EXERCISING - Take care of your body
APPRECIATING - Notice the world
around
TRYING OUT - Keep learning new things
DIRECTION - Have goals to look
forward to
RESILIENCE - Find ways to bounce back
EMOTION - Take a positive approach
ACCEPTANCE - Be comfortable with who
you are
MEANING - Be part of something bigger
Ten keys to happier living
The Ten Keys are explained in more detail
below. Each has a related question to help us think about how our activities
and attitudes affect our well-being and the well-being of the others around us.
GIVING
Do things for others
Caring about others is fundamental to our
happiness. Helping other people is not only good for them and a great thing to do;
it also makes us happier and healthier too. Giving also creates stronger
connections between people and helps to build a happier society for everyone.
And it's not all about money - we can also give our time, ideas and energy. So
if you want to feel good, do good!
Q: What do you do to help others?
RELATING
Connect with people
Relationships are the most important
overall contributor to happiness. People with strong and broad social
relationships are happier, healthier and live longer. Close relationships with
family and friends provide love, meaning, support and increase our feelings of self-worth.
Broader networks bring a sense of belonging. So taking action to strengthen our
relationships and create new connections is essential for happiness.
Q: Who matters most to you?
EXERCISING
Take care of your body
Our body and our mind are connected. Being
active makes us happier as well as being good for our physical health. It
instantly improves our mood and can even lift us out of a depression. We don't
all need to run marathons - there are simple things we can all do to be more
active each day. We can also boost our well-being by unplugging from technology,
getting outside and making sure we get enough sleep!
Q: How do you stay active and
healthy?
APPRECIATING
Notice the world around
Ever felt there must be more to life? Well
good news, there is! And it's right here in front of us. We just need to stop
and take notice. Learning to be more mindful and aware can do wonders for our
well-being in all areas of life - like our walk to work, the way we eat or our
relationships. It helps us get in tune with our feelings and stops us dwelling
on the past or worrying about the future - so we get more out of the
day-to-day.
Q: When do you stop and take
notice?
TRYING OUT
Keep learning new things
Learning affects our well-being in lots of
positive ways. It exposes us to new ideas and helps us stay curious and
engaged. It also gives us a sense of accomplishment and helps boost our
self-confidence and resilience. There are many ways to learn new things – not just
through formal qualifications. We can share a skill with friends, join a club,
learn to sing, play a new sport and so much more.
Q: What new things have you tried
recently?
DIRECTION
Have goals to look forward to
Feeling good about the future is important
for our happiness. We all need goals to motivate us and these need to be
challenging enough to excite us but also achievable. If we try to attempt the
impossible this brings unnecessary stress. Choosing ambitious but realistic
goals gives our lives direction and brings a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction
when we achieve them.
Q: What are your most important
goals?
RESILIENCE
Find ways to bounce back
All of us have times of stress, loss,
failure or trauma in our lives. But how we respond to these has a big impact on
our well-being. We often cannot choose what happens to us, but we can choose
our own attitude to what happens. In practice, it’s not always easy, but one of
the most exciting findings from recent research is that resilience, like many
other life skills, can be learned.
Q: How do you bounce back in tough
times?
EMOTION
Take a positive approach
Positive emotions – like joy, gratitude,
contentment, inspiration, and pride – are not just great at the time. Recent
research shows that regularly experiencing them creates an 'upward spiral',
helping to build our resources. So although we need to be realistic about life's
ups and downs, it helps to focus on the good aspects of any situation – the
glass half full rather than the glass half empty.
Q: What are you feeling good
about?
ACCEPTANCE
Be comfortable with who you are
No one's perfect. But so often we compare
our insides to other people's outsides. Dwelling on our flaws - what we're not
rather than what we've got - makes it much harder to be happy. Learning to
accept ourselves, warts and all, and being kinder to ourselves when things go
wrong, increases our enjoyment of life, our resilience and our well being. It
also helps us accept others as they are.
Q: What is the real you like?
MEANING
Be part of something bigger
People who have meaning and purpose in
their lives are happier, feel more in control and get more out of what they do.
They also experience less stress, anxiety and depression. But where do we find
'meaning and purpose'? It might be our religious faith, being a parent or doing
a job that makes a difference. The answers vary for each of us but they all
involve being connected to something bigger than ourselves.
Join the movement www.actionforhappiness.org
“Be an inspiration to yourself
and
you will be an inspiration to
others.”
