Ways to Weather the Winter Weather

All this winter weather wearing you down? Check out these tips from Andy Cope, happiness expert and co-author of The Little Book of Emotional Intelligence: How to Flourish in a Crazy World.

1 | Mondays are bad and Fridays good. Really? The average life-span is 4000 weeks and a seventh of your life is spent on Mondays. Flip your thinking. Friday is, in fact, another week closer to death, while Monday is an opportunity to make a dent in the universe.
2 | Upgrade your underwear drawer so every item is worth wearing on a ‘special occasion’. Then every day will start off feeling like one.
3 | Be a hugger. The average hug lasts 2.1 seconds but for the endorphins to transfer it needs to last seven seconds or longer (but warned, counting out loud spoils the effect).
4 | Practice the 10/5 principle – smile at everyone who comes within 10 feet of you and make eye contact and say ‘hi’ to everyone within 5 feet (except on the tube).
5 | Say nice things about people behind their back. This is a double-whammy because when it gets back to them , people think you’re a lovely person (which, of course, you are).
6 | Write a list of 10 things you really appreciate but take for granted. ‘Health’ and ‘relationships’ will almost certainly be on there.
7 | Every morning, appreciate that you don’t have toothache and that your kidneys are working. Being able to get out of bed is the best thing ever.

Stay tuned for Part 2 and 3. In the meantime, check out artofbrilliance.co.uk for more information on Andy’s work.