“Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions” – Dalai Lama

“Happiness depends upon ourselves” – Aristotle

“Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product” – Eleanor Roosevelt

There have been many studies in search for the essence of happiness and after 40 years of research, scientists attribute happiness to three major sources: genes, events and values.
Certain factors like genes and past events might not be something we can control, however overall happiness is a state of being which we can influence with our own actions and thoughts.

The following list is our inspirational collection of actions for a happier and healthier life.

Practice For A Happy, Healthy and Prosperous Life

Daily Practice:
01. Meditate for 10-30 minutes – focus on your own breath
02. Move your body, exercise, workout, do yoga, go for a run, swim or bike ride, take the stairs instead of the elevator, get outdoors and take a walk
03. Stretch
04. Exercise your brain – complete a Sudoku, crossword puzzle or brain training game, do math or learn a new language
05. Study and read on positive philosophy and/or spirituality and appreciate your existence
06. Write a task list, a list with ideas and personal goals for the week / month / year, review and revise weekly and check off accomplished items
07. Track your expenses
08. Work
09. Smile and laugh a lot
10. Socialize with like-minded peers, show your love to your loved ones, spend time with your significant other, children, parents, next of kin
11. Express gratitude – make a list of things that you are grateful for
12. Reflect on your day and write a diary, add productive things and activities done
13. Get enough sleep
14. Write a food diary and review it weekly to catch up with foods and important nutrients you left out
15. Improve your diet:
-Drink 10-15 glasses of water per day, if possible filtered
-Eat a balanced healthy diet of fresh whole foods which includes plenty of vegetables and fruits, berries, fresh herbs, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds
-Avoid processed foods, dairy, animal proteins, sugar, coffee, soda and alcohol
-If possible choose organic foods over conventionally grown

Weekly Practice:
16. Move your body even more – practice yoga, tai chi, go hiking, bicycling, paddling, play tennis or golf, take a long walk, tend your own vegetable, herb and flower garden or practice any other activity that calms you down
17. Socialize: Go to dinner with friends, join an activity group, meet family, be active in a support group or volunteer within the community
18. Have a face- and body peeling, face mask, manicure and pedicure
19. Water your potted plants and flowers at your home and office desk
20. Get a massage
21. Go to a gallery, museum, concert or indulge in art in any other way
22. Be creative: reserve time to paint, draw, bake, craft, photograph, decorate or build something

Monthly Practice:
23. Have a wellness and spa day: treat yourself to some sauna, steam room, jacuzzi, natural hot spring bath, a facial, body scrub etc.
24. Go to the hairdresser
25. Do something nice for yourself: treat yourself with a special event or buy something special
26. Review and revise your budget, income and expenses, improve your savings
27. Challenge yourself: do something you never did before, like pottery, sky diving, rock climbing, take a cooking class, a drawing class, learn how to play chess, go dance tango, rent a bike and ride to a new area, go for a 6 hour hike or to an all-day meditation retreat etc.

Yearly Practice:
28. Make a budget for the next year
29. Take a vacation and visit a foreign place you have never been to
30. Go on several long-weekend getaways
31. Go through your closets and remove anything you did not wear for a year, also review books and items and get rid of what’s not needed anymore – give it all to charity or sell it if you need the money
32. Go to a checkup with your doctor, eye-specialist, dentist, chiropractor, acupuncturist, GYN etc, have your blood tested

General Practice:
33. Always be honest
34. Cultivate optimism
35. Don’t compare yourself to others
36. Don’t live in the past
37. Don’t worry about the future
38. Unplug from social media, emails and internet as often as possible
39. Build up your social network and nurture social relationships
40. Cut out people who drag you down; just ignore them
41. Don’t make excuses, you don’t have to explain yourself, it’s just draining
42. Help someone in need, do a good deed, volunteer
43. Eliminate stress, stressful triggers and situations
44. Be grateful and forgiving: Visualize persons and things you are grateful for, as well as people who have done you wrong and forgive them, forgive yourself
45. Take moral inventory and if you have done someone wrong promptly admit it and make amends
46. Do more of what you love
47. If possible, work less
48. Enjoy the little and simple things
49. Spend money on experiences rather than materialistic things
50. Live environmentally friendly