LIFE LESSONS FROM MY RESCUE PUP TED

Journalist HANNAH BRITT, 28, lives in London

LIKE most people, I get grumpy. Indeed juggling a busy job with commitments to friends and family means I often end the day feeling tired and fed up.

Running helps, as does a glass of wine but nothing provides a lasting solution. But what if the key to happiness was wagging his tail at my feet?

Ted is a mongrel who came from a rescue charity in Romania. He was mistreated as a puppy yet despite his past, is always happy. He greets me like a long lost friend every time I see him.

So in the pursuit of happiness and using Ted as my guide, I decide to spend a week trying to be more dog. Dogs focus on one thing at once and give it their all. When playing fetch, they’re in the zone. While eating their dinner, they think of nothing else.

I on the other hand like to multitask. Eating while typing and working on many things at once. So, looking to Ted for inspiration, I decide to try tackling one task at a time.

I start and finish a letter, put pictures into a frame and hang it on the wall and tidy the whole living room. And it works. Doing one activity after the other, and giving each one my full attention, means I get more done.

Next up is a trip to the park. Ted is never happier than when out on a walk, investigating everything around him.

So the next day I approach my commute with a new mindset. Normally I spend the 45-minute bus journey glued to my phone, grumbling inwardly every time the bus stops at a red light.

This time however I decide to walk. I stop to smell a neighbour’s rose, note the crisp air and marvel at the beautiful architecture around me. By the time I get into the office, I’m in a great mood.

Ted greets anyone he meets on his walk with glee and gusto. I on the other hand would rather be stung by bees than speak to a stranger. Yet in my quest to be more like Ted, I decide to give a friendly greeting to everyone I meet over the course of my day.

At a bus stop I tell a woman I like her coat and she beams, thanking me. Everyone I say hello to is friendly back, which gives my mood another boost.

By the end of my week I feel more present, more in the moment and more content as a result.

From now on, it’s a dog’s life for me.