Three Tips to Practice Happiness

In our last blog, we shared how small moments of happiness contributes to our overall mental health. According to decades of research, happy people tend to live longer, exhibit fewer or less severe mental health issues, have more friends and perform better at work. But for some of us “Don’t Worry, Be Happy Now” is easier sung than done. Luckily, practicing a few new habits can (over time) increase our opportunities to experience happiness. Here are a few things to try:

  1. Count Your Blessings.  Write down or reflect upon three good things that happen every day.
  2. Prioritize People. Feeling connected to friends, family or our community has a significant impact on how happy we feel.
  3. Lose Track of Time.  Having a hobby has shown to increase overall happiness, possibly due to the intense focus we can achieve when we learn something new or take part in an activity that challenges us and absorbs our attention. The key is to find an activity that settles our mind and allows us to lose track of time because we are in a state of complete absorption.

We can also be inspired by joyful practices across the globe.  The World Happiness Report measures reported life satisfaction around the world.  How did researchers measure happiness? They explored factors such as freedom, generosity, health, social support, income, and trustworthy governance. If you are curious who made the top 10 list of happiest countries and why, visit to find out!

Share your secrets of joy with us by posting them on social media with the hashtag #EachMindMatters.

For related content: It’s The Little Things