How hard can it be: TO BE LUCKIER?

Good news! You don’t have to stay up all night to get lucky

Ever feel like some (other) guys get all the luck? Turns out good fortune isn’t down to the whims of the heavens. Psychologist Richard Wiseman studied characteristics of people who consider themselves to be ‘lucky’ – and the good news is that you don’t need to rely on winning numbers to apply them to yourself. MAKE THINGS HAPPEN: lucky people tend to be up for meeting new people, and giving something new a go. Don’t be ruled by routine, get chatting to strangers and learn how to be the (wo)man who always says yes!

GO WITH YOUR GUT: pay attention to what your instinct is telling you, like lucky people do. They’re also more observant. Practising meditation or mindfulness might help clear some of the clutter from your head, and help focus. THINK YOURSELF LUCKY: optimists are more likely to take things in their stride, and not take setbacks as ‘the end’. If you find that tricky, ask your friends to help – tests show that simply being wished luck actually helps improve performance. And, remember, if that (or any of the above) does work for you, please spread the luck around – we could all do with some of that at the moment.