ADOPTING THE HAPPINESS HABIT

SO, HOW might you adopt the happiness habit? Especially when the pandemic seems to stand in the way of so many of the values we, as individuals, cherish.

A few weeks into the first lockdown I went through a patch when I felt really sad and out of sorts.

I would often wake feeling glum, sorry that I wouldn’t be able to see my friends or my lovely mum; I’d long for life to return to its old ways.

Those feelings of loss and unhappiness would then carry through the rest of the day.

But just as happiness is a habit, so too is its opposite. I had to adjust my thinking then, as we all need to try to do again now, as we work to look after our mental wellbeing throughout this third lockdown.

And so, I went back to basics — to an old, but trusted, technique that I have used on myself, on various celebrity clients and a great many members of the public over the years.

My wife and I began starting each day making a list of the things we felt grateful for. Many months on, and we’re still doing that.

This morning, I’ve written that I feel grateful for the love of my wife and my own continuing good health; that I have a lovely dog to take on long walks and a beautiful home to come back to.

Also on my list are the little things that I cherish: my first cup of tea in the morning and how making it reminds me how lucky I am to have fresh water available whenever I need it.

The fact that, even though I can’t see my mum in person, I’m able to talk to her every day on the phone.

My wife and I are really enjoying watching a box set at the moment, so the anticipation of sitting down together to watch that when we settle down for the evening went on the list, too.

It is incredible how doing something so simple but positive helps adjust your mindset before the day has had a chance to even get started.

At points in the day when I feel out of sorts I can always take a look at my list.

I remind myself of my values, scan the list for proof that I’m still able to live by them one way or another, and I feel better.

Try making your own gratitude list each morning and see if it helps you, too.

Make happiness a habit.