I will introduce a few everyday activities that are guaranteed to make you happy if you continue practicing them. You definitely do not need to live in Finland to experience happiness even though many people agree that is the “headquarters” of happiness.

1. Wake-Up Ritual
   1. Say to yourself that today will be a beautiful day or a great day!
   2. Ask God what He has in store for you. Use me Lord (if not a Christian what you believe in will be useful as well.
   3. Remind yourself of your purpose in life and get out of bed.
   4. Do Not grab your phone as the first thing for the day.
2. Pray
   1. Talking to God has a way of calming our nerves. It brings about unexplained peace and when we add praise and worship then the floodgates open. That is how to win battles against unhappiness.
3. Smile
   1. Definitely floods your body with feel good hormones and insulates you from stress.
   2. Smiling is infectious so the more you smile the better and you set off a smiling OR happiness domino effect.
4. Meditate
   1. Extremely good for your brain and an easy way to start is to do deep-breathing and just focus on your “breath” excluding all others. That is what some will prefer to call mindfulness. Being in the moment has immense benefits. Things you never knew existed suddenly spring up.
5. Exercise
   1. That wonder drug that trumps virtually all others. Like smiling it does pour out feel good hormones. Strength training even goes an extra mile causing our muscles to act as “pharmacies” that pour out life-changing signals every time they contract.
6. Be kind to yourself & to others.
   1. We are often too harsh on ourselves. Give yourself a break. Self-care is the real deal!!
   2. Being harsh to others has no benefits.
7. Spend some time doing nothing!
   1. We need to re-set from time to time. Spend about 10 minutes a day doing absolutely nothing. There is happiness and innovation in “idling”. Do not abuse idling though.
8. Spend time with loved ones.
   1. This is another powerful happiness “hack”. You have to make time and be intentional about this; talk on phone, send messages, arrange to meet for a drink or meal. Social Wellness ranks very high on the happiness index and it’s fairly easy to plug into it.
   2. While spending time together remember that your choice of food and drinks also impacts on how happy or sad or anxious you may feel.
9. Indulge in a hobby.
   1. Our bodies and brain love variety. Do you have a hobby? Get one
10. Write in your gratitude diary.
    1. That is all it takes – keep doing it regularly.
11. Get a pet.

This list is not exhaustive but definitely a good start. Share your happiness hacks with me via email and together we can keep the world smiling and happy.

At the end of each day ask yourself if you did better than the previous day. That is all it takes. Doing better than the previous day for 365 days, for 5 years, 10 years… How amazing that will be!!!

AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)

Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel

Health Essentials Ltd/ Medics Clinic

(dressel@healthessentialsgh.com)

*Dr. Essel is a Medical Doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Medicine, He holds an MBA and is an ISSA Specialist in Exercise Therapy, Fitness Nutrition and Corrective Exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.’

Thought for the week – “There is no magic formula to being happy but making a conscious effort to be happy goes a long way.” – Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel