By Anne Davis

1. Do Less and Slow Down

Multi-tasking is the worst idea anyone ever had. Stress is created when you try to do too many things at once instead of taking the proper amount of time to do something thoroughly and gain a sense of accomplishment from doing it well.  Determine what truly needs to be done and what isn’t really necessary and relax!

2. Practice Meditation

One of the purposes of meditation is to stop your thoughts from wandering. Meditation focuses your mind on the here and now. Fretting about the past and worrying about the future makes you unhappy because you can’t change what happened and you can’t control what’s coming.  Focus instead on appreciating the things in your life that make you happy right now.

3. De-Clutter Your Home

Clutter causes chaos in our minds.  When you get rid of those excess items, you create a more serene living space.  The more things you own, the more time you spend looking for things or cleaning and dusting them or moving things to get at other things that are in the way of the things you want to get at.  Get it?  When you de-clutter your living space, you simplify your entire life.

4. Be Happy with What You Have

When you are constantly thinking that your life would be better “if”, you are focused on the future instead of the present.  You are basically telling yourself that your life is not good enough.  You have no real control over the future, but you do have control over how you feel right now. Spend more of your time counting your blessings.

5. Think Positive Thoughts

Try to look for the best in everything.  It is far too easy to complain.  It isn’t what happens to you that matters, it’s how you choose to react.  If you can look for the silver lining, no matter how hard it is to find, you will feel better.

The only thing standing between you and happiness in any given moment is what you choose to think about. What you are thinking right now – whether you are thinking about the past, the present or the future – you are thinking NOW, in this moment.  You are choosing to think those thoughts and you can choose to think thoughts that make you feel happy or thoughts that make you feel unhappy. But YOU get to choose.  The present moment is all you really have.  Make a choice to think thoughts that make you feel good and try to find a better perspective on the things that bother you.  Finding happiness really is that simple.

Anne Davis is a writer, blogger, artist and photography buff.  Born in Quebec, she now lives in Kimberley, BC where she is editor of and contributor to the City of Kimberley’s Active Community Guide and webmaster for the City’s websites.

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