Happiness

I'm a connoisseur of self-help guides to happiness, and I've found a good one. It's from the New Economics Foundation that caused a stir a few years back with its Happy Planet Index listing countries in order of their environmental efficiency in supporting well-being (#1 Vanuata, an island nation in the South Pacific; #31 China; #95 Japan; #107 Libya; #108 UK; #123 Finland; #150 US; #178 Zimbabwe).

Now they've developed five actions that, practiced regularly, can improve personal well-being.

1. Connect... with the people around you. With family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. Think of these as the cornerstones of your life.

2. Be active... Go for a walk or run.  Cycle. Garden. Dance. Most importantly, discover a physical activity that you enjoy.

3. Take notice... Be curious. Catch sight of the beautiful. Remark on the unusual. Notice the changing seasons. Savour the moment.

4. Keep learning... Try something new. Rediscover an old interest. Learn to play an instrument or how to cook your favourite food.

5. Give... Do something nice for a friend, or a stranger. Thank someone. Smile. Volunteer your time. Look out as well as in.

Obvious stuff, obviously. But a highly useful checklist for assessing how well you are doing in each area. I give myself the following grades: 1 C; 2 B+; 3 A-; 4 C+; 5 B.

New Year's goals: spend more time cultivating friendships and relationships; practice guitar and start piano lessons.

--Julian