• Increase Gratitude/Appreciation

Take time to notice the good things in life. The more we stop to notice them, the more there seem to be! By noting “simple” things like a warm shower, a friendly greeting, or helping hand, we begin to see the many ways that others positively affect our lives. We also see the ways that our presence and our actions affect others.

Keep an on-going gratitude list; write gratitude letters to others who have done something you’d like to acknowledge. Before you fall asleep, recall three good things that happened during the day and you’ll almost always feel better about your world.
Research shows that when we practice gratitude, we are happier, more likely to reach our goals, and feel more connected to others and to life in general.

Give to others, too! Few things make us feel better than doing something nice for another person, simply because we can. Sometimes we forget that it is a gift to be able to help someone.

• Find Flow/Engagement

Get engaged! Get lost in the moment by using your strengths.
Try to note times when you are “in flow” – when you are unaware of time passing and you are thoroughly engaged in an activity. You may be using your strengths like creativity, perseverance, love of learning, or kindness. Maybe you were helping a friend move, cooking a meal, playing a game, solving a problem. What were you doing? Was it enjoyable? Meaningful? How can you build more flow into your life?
Do you have something you already know engages you? Is there a way you can begin to build a little more time for flow into your routine? By spending time in flow, we increase our well-being.

• Find Meaning

Find a way to connect to something larger than yourself.
Join a spiritual group or religion that shares your values. Tie a personal passion like art, drama, or sports to a specific issue or cause that you support and contribute in a manner that motivates you. There are many organizations that need volunteers and/or contributions. Begin to think about what could engage you and how you can use that to benefit others.
Organize, teach, coach, fundraise, sew, cook. Many groups could use your expertise or help. By connecting with others, in support of something that has a purpose beyond our personal gain, we often feel a deeper sense of well-being and happiness.

• Meditate

The more we practice meditation, the easier it becomes to enjoy more positive control over our emotions. People who meditate on a regular basis have been found to have more energy, better handle stress and recover more quickly from illness. Levels of happiness are higher and depression is lessened. Meditation can literally make positive changes in our brains.

If you are new to meditation, with a little practice you can quickly feel the benefits.
Begin by taking 5 minutes a day to sit in quiet surroundings and simply concentrate on your breathing. When you find yourself distracted (which is normal at first) gently guide your thoughts back to your breath, in and out, in and out.
Some people like to pick a word or phrase to slowly repeat while they meditate, something like relax… or peace…Others use a compassion meditation to build awareness of others. This may include phrases such as: I wish myself love and peace… I wish my family love and peace…I wish my neighbors love and peace… I wish my enemies love and peace…I wish all things love and peace…