“Happy people are physically healthier. Happy people live longer.

Happy people
enjoy a higher quality of life.  There’s one thing for sure:  the brain and body are
inextricably connected.  You can’t address the body without addressing the brain, 
and vice versa. If you want to be happy and enjoy optimal health, you need to take
care of both.”
—Dr. Kelly Traver

Top ten happiness strategies from The Program

 Count your blessings and appreciate what you have. People who actively focus
on what is going right in their lives become happier people. The more you think this
way, the more your brain will lay down new nerve paths, and the more reflexive and
second nature this happy feeling will become.
 Practice optimism. Optimistic thoughts are often self-fulfilling. Expect positive
outcomes. Always try to see the best in people, situations, and circumstances.
 Focus on your own life and making it everything you want it to be. People who
live life without making comparisons are happier. If you are happy and fulfilled with
what you are doing, it doesn’t matter what anyone else is doing or what anyone else 
thinks.
 Surround yourself with loving, supportive, positive friends and family. Social
interactions change the very chemistry within your body. People with strong,
supportive social networks live healthier, happier, longer lives.
 Learn to manage stress. Chronic stress increases the risk of heart disease, stroke,
high blood pressure, obesity, and depression, so managing stress is crucial to your
health and happiness.
 Live in the present. Enjoy the moment. Savor the little things along the way. Your
brain loves to play—let it!
 Strive to be part of something larger than yourself. Work toward something in
which you find significant meaning. Studies show that employees who feel their jobs
are meaningful on a deeper level are happier.
 Volunteer. Helping others increases happiness. People are happier giving than
receiving. There are so many areas in which you can make a difference.
 Learn to accept what you can’t change. If you can accept that there are things in
life that aren’t always ideal but that life can be good anyway, you’ve taken a giant 
step closer to happiness.
 Work exercise into your daily routine. When you exercise, you change the
chemistry in your brain, but, more importantly, you ultimately change the very
structure of your brain.