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It is not as if those of us who are not blessed with happy dispositions are condemned to a life of une

nding misery! According to an eminent psychologist, each of us has a certain level for happiness which we can play around with and work on. All we have to do is to identify those things that get in the way of our happiness and figure out how to deal with them. We can do this by adapting and changing our habits to augment our happiness levels.

• Keep your mind actively engaged. Do things that make you happy even if it is sorting out old photographs, or cleaning up clutter
• Always be an optimist and think positive. Being an optimist is actually a learned skill. You will find pessimists complaining while optimists concentrate on solving their problems
• Never say you will `try` to do something ` that`s being a pessimist. Talk about doing it. Assume, as all optimists do, that you will definitely succeed
• Learn to stand tall and walk tall ` no slouching! That will mark you as a happy person as it is only the unhappy who tend to slouch
• Always keep smiling. A smile will give you an instant lift and give automatic signals to your brain that you are happy
• Remember that a state of happiness will boost serotonin levels. It even pays to pretend that you are happy as the positive thoughts thus generated will convey to your brain that you are happy and contented
• Be in control of your time and therefore your life. This is a characteristic of all happy people. Make a list of all the things you enjoy doing, prioritise them and find time to do at least one thing that you enjoy most every day without any interruptions
• Throw out all negative thoughts. Detox your thoughts. Fill your mind with positive thoughts. Negative thinking will cause changes in the brain that will lead to depression
• Simple pleasures can give rise to immense happiness. You don`t have to go on a cruise or a trip once a year to experience true happiness. Even small things like relaxing to favourite music or reading your favourite author`s book can give you the same, if not more pleasure
• Keep positive thinking friends around you. Avoid those who constantly complain or those who constantly criticize you. Their toxicity will suck out your happiness
• Working out regularly will give you a real high as it releases the feel good endorphins and promotes good health. Incidentally, aerobics are also a proven antidote for mild depression and anxiety
• Learn to appreciate and nurture close relationships. People who do so are able to cope better with setbacks like ill health, bereavement or loss of job. Married couples score because of their higher levels of contentment because of their togetherness as compared to singles or the divorced
• Opt for volunteer work. It is a productive activity that can become a source of happiness
• Get your 8 hours of sleep. A sleep debt will only cause fatigue and depression or gloom. Never be sleep deprived
• Faith, they say, can move mountains. Research has shown that actively religious people are happier and better able to cope with any crisis. Maybe it is the emotional support from the community, but it does give you a chance to focus on something beyond self
• Adopt relaxation techniques like meditation to combat the modern scourge of stress. Reserve some quiet time for yourself alone every day
• Always take a long term view of things. Nothing like time to heal even the worst of tragedies. Your natural capacity for happiness and joy will reassert itself sooner or later
• Laugh as much as possible. Laughter causes elation and you automatically take in so much more oxygen than while just talking. Incidentally, when you laugh, your blood pressure gets lowered and your muscle tension eases. It is a therapeutic natural pain killer too!

Anything else you can think of that will encourage people to be happy? Blog your thoughts right here on Sitagita`s Women`s Blogs and exchange your views with other women across the globe.