{"id":177981,"date":"2015-12-30T13:00:55","date_gmt":"2015-12-30T13:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=177981"},"modified":"2015-12-30T09:51:33","modified_gmt":"2015-12-30T09:51:33","slug":"177981","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2015\/12\/177981\/","title":{"rendered":"New year, new you \u2013 how to be happy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>What\u2019s top of your list of new year resolutions for 2016? Do more exercise? Eat better? Spend more time with your children? Find a fulfilling career? How about ticking all your boxes and simply be happy?<\/p>\n<p>Sadly, you can\u2019t simply \u201cbecome\u201d happy. Happiness is often an indirect consequence of our actions and the way we think. However, the good news is that making even the smallest adjustments can help us attain that elusive state we all aspire to.<\/p>\n<p>Ahead of a Guardian Live\/Idler Academy event looking at how to achieve happiness, panelist Rachel Kelly, author of <em>Walking on Sunshine: 52 Small Steps To Happiness<\/em>, offers some simple changes we can all make to our lives to improve our state of mind.<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Slow down<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We are human beings, not human doings and it\u2019s very easy to forget that in the frenetic world in which we live. Make a point of setting aside time for a night off and defend space in your diary for doing nothing at all. And if you suffer from FOMO (the fear of missing out), recalibrate and think of it instead as the joy of missing out. A night in can be just what the doctor ordered to maintain a sense of control over busy lives.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Be mindful<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Build a \u201cmindful\u201d activity into your day. It can be any routine activity you perform amid the haste of the day, like hand washing. Slow down and give the task your full attention. You\u2019ll soon start appreciating these small moments of stillness.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"element element-rich-link element--thumbnail element-rich-link--upgraded\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-2 | 1\">\n<div class=\"rich-link tone-comment--item \"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p><strong>3. Follow the 60% rule<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Perfectionism is an illusion, but the pursuit of it is real and can have damaging consequences. So readjust your thinking. If a friendship, relationship, work project is 60% right, then you\u2019re doing well. Beware too, of perfectionism\u2019s close friends: an all or nothing approach; workaholism; fear of failure; and being over-sensitive to the judgement of others.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Nourish your body<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a proven fact that the food we eat can have a direct impact on our mood and serotonin levels. So surround yourself with the good stuff: leafy green veg, probiotics, a sprinkle of cinammon and dark chocolate.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"element element-rich-link element--thumbnail element-rich-link--upgraded\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-2 | 2\">\n<div class=\"rich-link tone-news--item \"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p><strong>5. Unplug<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The strong glare of a phone\u2019s backlight isn\u2019t conducive to deep sleep. I have instated a wind-down hour before bedtime in which the phone is firmly it its charging station. It\u2019s all about creating the right conditions for your body to feel relaxed and able to sleep.<\/p>\n<p>6. Declutter<\/p>\n<p>Clearing cupboards helps give you a sense of control and owning your own space. It can be life-changing as Marie Kondo maintains in <em>The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying: A simple, effective way to banish clutter forever<\/em>. It also helps you enjoy the objects that you\u2019ve consciously decided to keep instead of relegating them to the status of just more stuff.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"img-2\" class=\"element element-image img--landscape  fig--narrow-caption fig--has-shares \" data-component=\"image\" data-media-id=\"d01f19d3d4be44e9976d28336fd2444dadc14ab2\">\n<div class=\"u-responsive-ratio\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/d01f19d3d4be44e9976d28336fd2444dadc14ab2\/0_969_8644_5188\/master\/8644.jpg?w=620&amp;q=85&amp;auto=format&amp;sharp=10&amp;s=a853a77920ddfc8abb8dc0cfc63f927a 620w\" media=\"(min-width: 660px)\" sizes=\"620px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/d01f19d3d4be44e9976d28336fd2444dadc14ab2\/0_969_8644_5188\/master\/8644.jpg?w=605&amp;q=85&amp;auto=format&amp;sharp=10&amp;s=8990fdeb3e0bce6e6689cc36665a67bc 605w\" media=\"(min-width: 480px)\" sizes=\"605px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/d01f19d3d4be44e9976d28336fd2444dadc14ab2\/0_969_8644_5188\/master\/8644.jpg?w=445&amp;q=85&amp;auto=format&amp;sharp=10&amp;s=2f0b9bef0f63c633dc45fa3258fd3bce 445w\" media=\"(min-width: 0px)\" sizes=\"445px\" \/><img class=\"gu-image\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/d01f19d3d4be44e9976d28336fd2444dadc14ab2\/0_969_8644_5188\/master\/8644.jpg?w=300&amp;q=85&amp;auto=format&amp;sharp=10&amp;s=d68293498db259e32118d3eb941d2f40\" alt=\"Getting rid of clutter gives you a sense of control over your life.\" \/><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"block-share block-share--article hide-on-mobile\" data-link-name=\"block share\"><span class=\"u-h\">Facebook<\/span><span class=\"u-h\">Twitter<\/span><span class=\"u-h\">Pinterest<\/span><\/div><figcaption class=\"caption caption--img caption caption--img\"> Getting rid of clutter gives you a sense of control over your life. Photograph: Rachael Smith<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>7. Breathe<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When things get too much, try the one-finger-on-the-nose breathing trick. Surreptitiously life a finger against one side of your nose. Then just breathe through the other nostril. By halving the rate at which you breathe, you lower your blood pressure and trigger the body\u2019s relaxation response. Great in the face of strong emotions.<\/p>\n<p>8. Redefine failure<\/p>\n<p>Stumbling blocks can be stepping stones and failure can teach us so much. Be less risk-averse and adopt the attitude embodied by a cartoon in my office which says:<em>I\u2019ve made so many mistakes, and learnt so much, I\u2019m thinking of making some more<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>9. Exercise<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Breaking a sweat, ideally first thing in the morning, releases endorphins and sets you up for the day. Lack of exercise can leave you feeling sluggish and lethargic, so, if you can, start your day right.<\/p>\n<p>10. Read a poem aloud<\/p>\n<p>As you do so, your mental to-do list melts away and your thoughts still, focusing entirely on the lyrical sounds of the words. One of my favourite poems is: <em>The Lake Isle of Innisfree<\/em> by W. B. Yeats; <em>I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,\/And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made<\/em>. Imagine yourself in that bee-loud glade.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211;<\/p>\n<p>Source: The Guardian<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What\u2019s top of your list of new year resolutions for 2016? Do more exercise? Eat better? Spend more time with your children? Find a fulfilling career? How about ticking all your boxes and simply be happy? Sadly, you can\u2019t simply \u201cbecome\u201d happy. Happiness is often an indirect consequence of our actions and the way we [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":177982,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[36],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>New year, new you \u2013 how to be happy - Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2015\/12\/177981\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New year, new you \u2013 how to be happy - Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. 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