CONNECT…. BE ACTIVE… TAKE NOTICE… KEEP LEARNING… GIVE
1. Connect
Connect with the people around you, with family, friends, colleagues and neighbours, at home, work, and school or in your local community. Think of these as the cornerstones of your life and invest time in developing them this Xmas and for the future. Building these connections will support and enrich you every day.
As you go through your day be aware of the people around you and think of what you can offer them, it maybe just a SMILE. True happiness consists in making others happy. Try a random act of kindness and pass it on to others.
2. Be Active
At Xmas we often get cabin fever cooped up indoors for days on end. Step outside. Go for a walk or run. Play a game with your kids, cousins or neighbours kids. Cycle. Go to the gym. Dance. Exercising makes you feel good. Discover a physical activity you enjoy and one that suits your level of mobility and fitness and keep it up into 2012.
3. Take Notice
Be curious. Catch sight of the beautiful. Remark on the unusual. Notice the changing season, the beauty of the bare trees, the snow, the wonder of winter. Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling.
Savour your life. Think of savouring as having a past, present, and future component.
You savour the past by reminiscing about the good old days — Christmas as a child, the first Xmas with your husband or when your kids were very young & believed in Santa, or perhaps your first skiing trip at school. Reflecting on your experiences will help you appreciate what matters to you.
You savour the present by wholly living in, being mindful of, and relishing the present moment, whether it’s having a special Xmas lunch with a colleague, immersing yourself in a your favourite Xmas book, playing your favourite Xmas songs, or engaging in a project at work like decorating the office Xmas tree.
Finally, you savour the future by anticipating and fantasising about upcoming positive events, think about what wonderful surprises 2012 could hold for you. This is also known as optimistic thinking.
4. Keep Learning
Try something new. Rediscover an old interest. Sign up for that course. Take on a different responsibility at work or within your family this Xmas. Learn to sing or play a favourite Xmas carol or how to cook a new Xmas dish. Set a challenge you will enjoy achieving. Learning new things will make you more confident, as well as being fun.
5. Give
Do something nice for a friend, or a stranger this Xmas. Thank someone. Smile. Volunteer your time. Join a community group. Look out, as well as in. Seeing yourself, and your happiness, linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and will create connections with the people around you.
* Adapted from the New Economics Foundation’s five ways to well-being and the Live Happy phone app by Sonja Lyubomirsky
