3 Happy Habits and six tricks to make them stick!

Pave the way for long-term happiness and fulfilment with these simple, stay-smiling techniques to bring delight to everyday

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1 Find the joy

‘Bringing focus to the small things in your day that have the potential to bring you joy is an essential habit for happiness,’ says positive psychology coach Dawn Baxter. ‘Upgrade your towels and wrap yourself in luxury each time you get out of the shower; start each day with the invigorating aroma of your favourite coffee; and make time to sit in that spot in your garden that gets the last of the sunshine. Life’s simple pleasures are easily overlooked when we’re consumed with what we need to do and where we need to be. But bring your focus back to those micro-pleasures; it’s incredible how they help you find your balance and give you the resources to enjoy your life day to day, regardless of other things that will come at you.’

2 Shift views

‘How often do you arrive at the office loudly listing all the things that have gone wrong that morning: “I couldn’t get the kids out of the door today! I forgot my bag! I hit every red light!’’ asks Baxter. ‘Instead, try “positive stacking”: acknowledge the fact that you dodged the rain, remembered your lunch, and put your favourite top in the dryer last night so it was available to wear today – and you didn’t have to iron it! We’re programmed towards negative bias, but get into the habit of spotting the good stuff. It’s easy to shift perspective back into your favour when you try, and once you’ve done it regularly, for a month or so, it soon becomes second nature.’