All we want for Christmas is happiness this year! So, over the countdown to Christmas we will be sharing our 12 tips to increase happiness.

We have been sharing these tips already on our social media sites this week. For those who don’t use Facebook or Twitter, here are the 5 tips we have published so far:

Tip 1 – Get your finances in order

A lot of people struggle to save money, pay off debt, or even skip a shopping spree. But spending wisely improves people’s happiness. People feel content when they are financially stable, but research also shows that when people spend money on material stuff, their happiness decreases.  Good organisation helps us to feel like we are in control and if we have a written plan we feel much happier.

Tip 2 – Cut toxic people from your life

It seems like common sense, but many struggle with ending bad relationships.

Busy people often just keep on doing things with people who are not very nice to them. But if others are not going to treat us kindly and compassionately, we have to move on and leave them behind. These draining, stressful relationships have a huge impact on the quality of people’s lives. Bad relationships can make us feel deeply unhappy.

Tip 3 – Focus on your health

There is a firm connection between a healthy body and a healthy emotional state. Our health isn’t usually something that breaks one day – it slowly deteriorates over the years if we don’t look after ourselves in terms of nutrition and exercise.

Our overall fitness depends on the choices we make and in this respect we are directly responsible for how we feel. Generally, the healthier and fitter we are, the happier we are.

Tip 4 – Be compassionate—to yourself

Life deals us many disappointments. Maybe we didn’t get that big promotion. Or our marriage fell apart. Or we are not the person we thought we would be. Many people find these life events difficult to deal with and they blame themselves.

But learning how to forgive and be kind to ourselves can help us to accept disappointment move forward to enjoy a happy life.

Tip 5 – Accept that we’re all a bit lost

While age brings wisdom, many people go through life feeling like they only kind of know what they’re doing.

But life can be dynamic, unpredictable and challenging. We do mature and learn our lessons, but we can’t ever have it all figured out. Accepting that we can never know or control everything helps people lead more fulfilling lives.

More to follow in the next two weeks!