Want a happier, more fulfilling life?

Embrace these 10 science-backed activities to increase your joy in life. Start transforming your life today!

1) Be grateful

Research shows that gratitude is very much associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps you feel more positive, navigate life’s challenges and enhance your wellbeing.

A good practice to follow at the end of each day, is to think of five different things you were grateful for during that day. Writing them down is even more powerful!

2) Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness is a practice focused on being in the present moment, being aware of your thoughts and feelings and fully accepting them without judging them.

You allow your thoughts to be there but you are not hooked by them. Observe them and even be curious about them.

The more you observe your thoughts the more you see that is all they are just thoughts. They are not you. What a relief!

Take a few minutes each day to practise mindfulness. Whenever you are lost in ruminating about the past or worrying about the future accept that it is just internal chatter and bring yourself to the present.

One activity I do is to observe the present though the 5 senses. I look around and note 5 things I can see, 4 things I can hear, 3 things I can feel, 2 things I can smell and 1 thing I can taste. I often do this while walking in nature.

3) Be your own best friend

Treat yourself like you would a best friend. We get so caught up in our inner critic, we can be cruel to ourselves. Instead be kind, supportive and encouraging, like a good friend would.

Next time you notice you are judging yourself harshly, try and step back and be kind and caring to yourself. It works!

4) Clarify your core values

Your values describe how you want to behave as a person and act in all situations throughout your life. They are how you want to treat yourself and others.

Values are in essence how you are true to yourself.

Values describe the principles you want to live by, the qualities and character strengths you want to cultivate.

5) Develop your vision for the future

Write a letter to yourself in the future describing your ideal life. The future may be 1, 2 or even 5 years.

Describe what your life is like, what you have accomplished and the values you live by.

You have achieved the goals you pursued and are living a happier, more fulfilling life. How does this make you feel? Take 15 minutes and allow your pen to flow.

6) Set goals

Write down one or two goals you want to achieve that is consistent with your vision of your ideal life in the future. Put together an action plan on how to achieve these goals.

Make sure your goals are SMART – specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-framed. Write down an action against each goal you can do this week to progress towards your goals.

7) Commit to learning something new

Look back at your letter to the future and goals you have set. What is one thing you can commit to learning, that will help you achieve your goals?

It could be something really small. Do some research on how you can learn this. There are so many online courses on the internet and many are free.

8) Savour experiences

Reflect or reminisce each day on two pleasurable experiences from the past. Take time to do this. It may be small but it has to be something that gave you pleasure. Going over old photos can give great pleasure.

9) Follow your heart

Whatever it is that sparks joy in your life do as often as you can. It may be part of a bigger purpose in your life or it could even be anything small that makes you feel energised and enthusiastic.

10) Nurture a growth mindset

Research shows circumstances actually account for a very small part of your happiness.

It is the way you look at your life and what happens in it, i.e. your mindset, that determines your happiness.

Learn more about how to develop a growth mindset. A person with a growth mindset views challenges as opportunities to learn. The saying, failure is the best teacher, applies well here.