Being happy and enjoying life joyfully and optimistically is a desirable aim and happens through personal initiative, not by chance.

Twenty-five-year-old Kate considered herself unlucky in almost everything. But she became friends with a peer from work who had the ability to see things in a positive way. This influenced her life. Kate’s attitude changed through her learning new behaviors, as explained below:

1. Exercise in positive thinking: Do not fall into the trap of focusing only on negative aspects, or your life will be bitter. Consider everything in general, but focus on the positive. Whenever you face a problem, apply the corresponding solutions and put it aside for a while. Then, retrieve pleasant memories from the past, such as people you admire, jolly friends, or a funny anecdote that may help draw a smile to your face. Think of these things while you perform routine tasks. This will help you displace adverse thoughts related to your problems.

2. Feel reasonably satisfied with yourself: Self-esteem is closely related to the ability to enjoy life. If you feel inferior, your behaviors will tend to mediocrity and low performance. Seeing the poor results will affirm your belief and, in the end, you will fail. Self-assurance is a good emotional habit that needs to be cultivated in order to obtain further achievements, to nourish self-esteem and to enjoy greater happiness and satisfaction.

3. Nourish good interpersonal relationships: The greatest satisfaction and happy experiences in life tend to be associated with other people. Likewise pain and displeasure come from interpersonal relationships.

In the absence of disagreements and difficulties, when relationships are excellent with your spouse, boss, partners, friends and neighbors, happiness and mental health seem to overflow. But when things go wrong with people, life turns bitter, and sadness, discouragement and uncertainty set in.

4. Look at the funny side of things: Add a pinch of humor to life’s difficulties. Laugh at the stressful situations in order to release tension.

A great barrier that prevent many from experiencing happiness is the tendency to ‘catastrophize’ or exaggerate problems. A sense of humor minimizes the importance of somber things and helps to adopt a more realistic and balanced perspective.

5. Do something to help others: It is a widely accepted fact among mental health professionals that altruism fights depressive symptoms and adds satisfaction and happiness to the lives of those practicing it.

Try to volunteer in an association to help the needy, teach classes in a marginal neighborhood or cooperate in an ecological project. Or perhaps, in a private manner, make plans to visit members of your family or old friends. Visit them to support them and give them the satisfaction of your being the one seeking their friendship and well-being.

6. Practice a healthy lifestyle: Those in good health tend to have a greater chance of experiencing happiness. When physical discomfort is present, it is difficult to enjoy mental well-being. Keeping healthy is a simple process, enjoyable and easy for everyone to attain:

a) Maintain a balanced diet including whole grains, vegetables, fruits, beans and nuts. Avoid animal foods or use them moderately.

b) Drink plenty of water every day, especially outside of regular meals. Avoid the use of sugar drinks, beer and coffee. They only supply empty calories – no nutritional values.

c) Exercise regularly: Double your effort if you have a sedentary job. Practice a sport or an enjoyable, vigorous activity.

d) Adequate rest: Follows regular exercise. Keep to 7 – 8hours of sleep. It is absolutely necessary to preserve you physical and mental health.

e) Do not use psychoactive substances – drugs, alcohol, tobacco, etc., as they affect the central nervous system and your mood. Although they may cause satisfaction in the beginning, they ruin good mood in the end.

7. Keep a hopeful attitude: One of the greatest secrets to happiness is to look at the future with hope. Reflect on the past and how problems were solved. Adopt the confidence that this time they will also be solved.

Dispel ideas of misfortune, and calamity from your mind. If you are a believer, trust in God and you will notice that a great burden is removed and you will start enjoying God-given blessings.