How to Live a Happier Life

1. Remember that work is not the only facet to your life. In these demanding times, it’s easy to focus more on the workplace, but finding a time to "play" is just as important. Making special time to enjoy interests, hobbies, and family, not only makes life happier, but helps us be more productive on the job.

2. Realize that you are just as important as other people -- and say "no" when your obligations and responsibilities are too much. You can only spread yourself so thin before you’re no good for yourself or anyone else.

3. Don’t compare yourself to other people – at work or in your personal life. In the first place, no one knows what other people are going through. More importantly, when you compare yourself to other people, you always tend to see yourself on the "short end". So this is never a good or helpful thing for you to do.

4. Make a scheduled time every day for relaxation.

This is not a "lazy" relaxation, but a time when you regroup, let go of your stresses, and read something that is positive and uplifting. This is a good time to go over any therapy that you’re working on. Having a "relaxation" time or a "quiet time" every day strengthens you, allows the stress and tension in your life to evaporate, and keeps you more on a positive, even keel.

6. Take time to laugh at yourself and the situations you find yourself in. Laughter is a powerful, positive medicine and the calmer and more peaceful you can take things, the happier your life will be.

7. Surround yourself with friends who are positive, encouraging, and helpful. This has a nice reciprocal benefit: As you are positive and encouraging to others, your friends become positive and encouraging to you. We all need this continuing, positive encouragement to make solid positive progress in life.

8. If you have problems getting your feelings and opinions out, learn the techniques of self-assertion, rather than using anger or avoidance by bottling them all up inside. Burying your feelings and pushing them deep down into yourself only creates blockages in your growth and progress as a human being.

9. Relax, calm down, take things slower. The cliché is passé, but there’s a big element of truth to it: When you stop to smell the roses, the world is just a brighter, happier, and more beautiful place to live.

-- Thomas A. Richards, Ph.D., Psychologist