Happiness is arguably one of the best feelings we can experience as human beings. Whether it’s a smile shared between friends, a moment of laughter in the company of loved ones, or just the warm internal glow of contentment when doing something we love.

The pursuit of happiness is central to many people’s lives, made up of things such as finding love, landing a dream career or buying their first house. But often it’s the simple things that make us happy, such as laughing with a friend, receiving a hug from a loved one or reading a good book.

The Oxford English Dictionary describes happiness or the state of being happy as simply ‘Feeling or showing pleasure or contentment. A joy and love of the simple things in life’.

While Wikipedia note that historical studies on happiness find that it can be an ‘appraisal of life satisfaction’.

Which reflects why we often base our feeling of ‘happiness’ on many factors other than instant gratification. These might include health, career, lifestyle, love life and achievements.

According to The Pursuit of Happiness, our level of happiness is more scientific, made up of several factors including our environment, life skills and the genes we inherit from our parents. They argue that the life skills section is something we can change in order to alter our levels of happiness echoing Dalai Lama’s observation that,

“Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions”

So, our ultimate level of happiness appears to be about our own choices and decisions, the way we look at life and the challenges we face. While we can’t control what the world brings our way, we can control what we do with it and how we live our lives. So, how do we create moments of happiness for ourselves that can sustain that good feeling?

The Action for Happiness Movement was founded in 2010 by Richard Layard, Geoff Mulgan and Anthony Seldon. They focus on happiness as an action to be shared among society, bringing people together ‘where people care less about what they can get just for themselves and more about the happiness of others.’

Action for Happiness promote their positive message on their website and currently offer a free 10 Days of Happiness Course on ‘How to be Happy’. They also have an app that people can join to receive daily actions and inspiration.

They recently launched the free ‘10 Keys to Happier Living online groups section, to connect communities and encourage them to work together to form happier lives. As well as regular free online events with professionals covering everything from mental fitness to finding the joy of connection. Key speakers include Ruby Wax.

In Carmarthen, two men have made happiness and positive living, the focus of their business. Spiffy -The Happiness Shop is situated at the top of Notts Square in Carmarthen and is a resource for anyone wanting to feel happy and positive about their lives. They sell high quality materials and hand-crafted British stock focusing on wellbeing and positive living such as stationary, books, gifts and products to promote positive mental health.

Paul and Shaun say,

“Spiffy began when we were both a bit unhappy. Bored, uninspired, lacking confidence and enthusiasm. We had a good life; we were pretty comfortable and had plenty to smile about, but we often ended up wasting a lot of energy on stress and frustration. We were chasing happiness and looking for a quick fix, but that’s not sustainable. We realised that true happiness comes from within. That’s why we created Spiffy.”

Spiffy has been well received in the community and regular customer Simon Rice has praised their products on his YouTube channel here. Simon has autism and says the shop has changed his life,

“We need more shops like it in this world. They say you can’t buy happiness, you can at Spiffy”

Spiffy’s online shop is still running, while their high street store is currently closed.

In the current climate, when the world outside may look bleak, it’s become even more of a challenge to find happiness.

Here are some tips on finding happiness and focusing on positive living.

1/ Stay connected.

It’s difficult to be sociable, when we’re unable to meet people outside of our household, yet there are other ways you can stay connected to loved ones. The use of video call software, through mobile phones and apps such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams has allowed us to keep in touch with those far and wide more than ever. There are also fun ways to stay connected, such as watching a film together on Netflix Party – now Teleparty, or organising a virtual quiz or games night for friends and family.

Try penning an old-fashioned letter to a friend or family member. There’s nothing like receiving a hand written surprise in the post. You could include a small gift or photograph to make them smile.

2/ Stay active.

The benefits of staying active for your body and mind has long been documented. The NHS claim that exercise can “boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing your risk of stress, depression, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.”

A little walk each day or a work out through an online Pilates or yoga class could help boost your wellbeing and happiness in different ways. We all know that exercise releases serotonin, the happiness drug and healthline.com claim that aerobic exercise such as swimming, cycling and walking are the most effective for increasing levels. Regular exposure to daylight will also increase levels of the ‘happiness drug.’

With current restrictions it can prove more difficult to keep moving, but even the minimal movement could benefit us. Getting out in the garden or an open space for just 30-45 minutes can burn up to 300 calories (Henry Ford.com).

Bupa share 10 morning stretches to help kick start your day on their website.

They state that some studies suggest that, along with other forms of regular exercise, stretching could help you to relax, increase your flexibility, reduce lower back pain, and help to manage some other health conditions.

3/ Laugh more.

The saying goes that ‘Laughter is the best medicine’. Whether it’s a shared joke amongst friends, or watching an episode of your favourite comedy programme, finding joy in the small things makes us feel so much better.

Helpguide.org recognise the physical and emotional benefits of laughter, they say

“It strengthens your immune system, boosts mood, diminishes pain, and protects you from the damaging effects of stress. Humour lightens your burdens, inspires hope, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert.”

Writer and Performer, Angharad Tudor Price is a professional clown and currently working on bringing online clowning workshops to adults with learning difficulties, through the Leonard Cheshire society.

Angharad and her fellow performer, Suzi MacGregor brought entertainment to their home town of St David’s during the National lockdown in 2020. Over the summer, Angharad and Suzi visited outdoor spaces and family’s gardens, by request, to bring smiles to the community with Front Lawn Fools.

Angharad said,

“I wanted to bring the entertainment back to basics. Clowning does just that. It’s fun and silly. The adults loved it as much as the children.”

4/ Try something new.

While it’s hard to find the motivation to try something new during these challenging times, it’s important to keep our brain active and our imagination fired up.

There are lots of online courses available to expand skills and knowledge as well as physical fitness – Pembrokeshire leisure centres have recently launched Pembrokeshire Leisure Live which is free to members.

There are also many free workshop trials or events to try out new things. Throughout January, Cwtsh delivered a series of fun, free virtual activities on Zoom working with artists, creatives and community organisations from across Caerphilly and the Eastern Valleys region. These sessions followed two previous programmes during the 2020 lockdowns and more are planned for future.

Arts Development officer for Caerphilly County Borough council says

“Creative activities can really help people to take their minds off some of the stress we are experiencing during the current restrictions and darker winter days… People can enjoy being creative, learn some new skills and also have the chance to safely socialise with other creative people”

The Torch Theatre in Milford Haven host a weekly singalong on their Facebook page with West End Musical Director Angharad Sanders. The Torch Voices Choir is also online and currently free for participants, with donations welcome.  Find out more on their Facebook page.

Simply trying something different such as a new recipe, or walking a different route in your local area can all add to feelings of positive wellbeing and happiness.

5/ Get plenty of sleep.

We all know that it’s important to give our minds and bodies enough rest, but it’s not always possible to achieve this. With busy schedules and busy lives it can be hard to find a routine that works, and with the current world situation that we live in, things can plague us more than usual.

The most important thing when aiming to get a good night’s sleep, is to ensure we are relaxed. Perhaps by taking a warm bath, an hour or so before bed. By lighting a candle – lavender or chamomile scents are great. Try a pillow spray or roller ball for your wrists, to help relax and sooth your mind.

Try writing down anything that’s bothering you or a list of things to do before you got to bed, so they are not circling round your mind as you try and fall asleep.

Light music or meditation can help too. There are several apps you can try for this, as well as some that track your sleep. Headspace is great.

One of the best tips for sleep, is to find a regular routine. If you aim to go to bed at the same time each night, your body will become used to this pattern and eventually begin to relax during these nightly rituals.

And the final tip? Don’t get stressed or wound up if you cannot sleep. Get up, make some warm milk or cocoa, or read a book for a bit until you feel tired. If you try and stay relaxed and clear your mind, you will find sleep comes easier.

6/ Keep in check with your thoughts.

It seems so obvious, doesn’t it? Yet, how often do we stop and think about how we are actually feeling? Spiffy have some great products for focusing on our thoughts, such as wellness journals and affirmation cards which can prove useful when thinking about what makes us happy.

Recognising how we are feeling is important for our wellbeing and ensures we can deal with any issues as they arise. It’s good to talk to a trusted friend or family member, or write our thoughts and feelings down in a journal, to relieve our minds of the stresses and frustrations of every day life.

This works for when we are feeling positive too and when people or moments make us happy. As we get into practice of doing this and checking in with ourselves, we can understand our feelings better and learn what makes us happy and contented. Life’s too short to be living unhappy!

7/ Eat well.

It’s long been documented that what we eat, has a direct affect on how we feel. While high sugary and fatty foods might make us feel great in the short term, fresh, healthy ingredients are going to keep our minds and bodies happy in the long term.

A balanced diet is the best contribution you can make to your happiness and wellbeing. We can start by sourcing natural ingredients or making our own meal plans, taking control of what we offer ourselves.

Find the joy in cooking a new recipe from scratch, or baking something with fresh ingredients.

The Eat well NHS guide recommends some top tips on looking after our nutrition – here

8/ Have a gratitude attitude.

It’s often difficult to see past the problems and anxieties in our lives, but if we can find reasons to be grateful this can contribute to our happiness in huge ways.

Whether it’s showing gratitude for the sun rising each morning, for the friend who is always there for you, or the pet that sits silently with you while you work from home, each little thing that we find to make us smile each day, as well as helping others to feel good (going back to Action for Happiness’ beliefs), can keep us going in the toughest of times.