Top 10 Happiness Helpers

This list from Self magazine's January issue is so cute!

1. Be Grateful. Each night, recall three things that went well that day. Focus on the fun stuff to crank up your contentment.
   
2. Lose Yourself. Spend at least 20 percent of your leisure time on pursuits that put you into a "flow" state, fully absorbing your mind.
   
3. Indulge in your hobbies. Break from the grind to do what excites you. Love to travel? Research your next trip to Rome. Gratifying your desires keeps your bliss battery humming.
   
4. Walk your talk. Align your actions with your values. Cherish loyalty? Chat with your best pal regularly. Practice what you preach to stay chipper.
   
5. Pen a Happy Ending. Instead of obsessing over what's to come, jot down your ideal future. People who put their positive fantasies on paper reported feeling significantly happier in a month.
   
6. Be a favor fairy. Research suggests that doing even small good deeds, such as holding elevator doors, makes you joyful. Altruistic acts create a circle of virtue; pass the karma on.
   
7. Remove the blinders. To be satisfied, set a goal with a deadline (for instance, learn basic Portuguese before your trip to Brazil). Then, instead of fixating on the end point, enjoy the steps that get you there (your language class). Score!
   
8. Circle up. Joining people who have convened for a cause directed toward the greater good, such as conservation club, is as beneficial to your health as exercising regularly, studies show.
   
9. Tap your strengths. Find simple ways to use your gifts. If your forte is community building and you're in sales, view cold calls as a way to connect. You'll find motivation in the mundane.
   
10. Make your happy heart pound. Three brief workouts a week can improve your outlook nearly as well as antidepressants, research finds.

If I were to add another one...it would be...get a dog (or two)! :)