According to the World Happiness Report in 2019, Canada is the 9th happiest in the world. So, not only are we polite! We’re generally happy. But let’s face it, with the state of global politics and the seemingly angry world of social media, it can seem hard to be happy!
Well, we folks over 48, we’re resilient and we’ve been through a lot! 2020 is the start of a new decade and there’s lots to be happy about. So we’ve made a list of ten ways to be happier in 2020.
Top 10 Happiness Tips for 2020
- Finding time for you: with work, family and other commitments, finding time for ourselves can be hard. But it’s critical to helping keep your brain healthy. Carve out a little time each week to do something just for you. You’ll be happier and others around you will also benefit.
- Get outdoors! Research is showing that spending time in nature helps us deal with stress, re-connects us with the land and benefits our physical and mental health. Commit to taking some time to getting outdoors each season.
- Find an old friend: As edge into our fifties and sixties, we often look back and wonder what happened to an old friend we lost touch with. Do a little digging online, see if you can find them and have a phone or Skype chat if their far away or maybe go for a coffee if they’re close. Don’t just connect on Facebook. That’s not the same!
- Take a day trip: go somewhere that takes a few hours drive that you haven’t been to or not been in a while. Take your spouse or partner. Walk and grab a nice meal.
- Try a new activity: As we age, we often get stuck in routines. Those are dangerous. Find some new activity that you think you might like or always wanted to try. It could be archery, golf, swimming…just do something new.
- Start a grateful journal: It doesn’t have to be long entries. Maybe just get a small notebook and jot down things you’re grateful for every day.
- Pay it forward: Sitting in a line-up at Tim’s or Starbucks? Pay for the coffee of the car behind you or the person in the store line-up. Small things. They add up.
- Get a little naughty: have some fun foolin’ around with your partner or spouse. The afterglow from sex has shown to have many benefits from stress reduction to deeper intimacy with a loved one.
- Try volunteering: Maybe you’re already involved with a community organisation. If so, you can select another one for a quick project like building a community garden.
- Seek authenticity: Be authentic with yourself and others. Talk about things that mean something to you, with a friend or your spouse. Express your real emotions. You’ll feel a lot more open.
So have an awesome 2020! Keep it real and keep it alive! Stay active and exercise your brain too.
More Inspiration: Check out this cool article on finding the path to enlightenment!
Author: Giles Crouch is group publisher and COO for Silver’s parent brand HUM@Nmedia and a design anthropologist. He writes regularly here and on Medium.
