Happy Week: Happiness Tactics

If you go to the book store, it seems as though there's a how-to book for everything from dieting to pet care to building furniture. But how can you find happiness, and what techniques actually work? Gretchin Rubin, blogger and author of "The Happiness Project", discusses how she spent a year testing different paths to happiness.

During her quest towards, Rubin realized that although happiness seems like a lofty goal, you can actually increase your level of happiness just by doing some simple, everyday things. "One of the things that has worked for me... is just to make your bed in the morning," says Rubin. "For a lot of people, outer order contributes to a feeling of inner calm." By simplifying one thing every day, people earn a sense of accomplishment and self control.

Some people choose to write gratitude journals to help stay positive. Rubin, though, says gratitude journals didn't work for her. "I tried keeping a gratitude journal and after about ten days, it just really started to annoy me," says Rubin. She later learned that the journals work best if you don't keep them on a daily basis, but instead journal once or twice a week. "By then I had soured on the whole thing," says Rubin. "For me, keeping a gratitude journal didn't work, but a lot of people do say it's helpful."

As a general rule, Rubin suggests beginning your quest to happiness by taking a look at your body. "Get enough sleep," says Rubin. "One study showed that the two biggest reasons why people were unhappy at work during the day were tight work deadlines and not having enough sleep."

Mornings are usually hectic when moms and dads are trying to get their kids - and themselves - ready to head out the door. Try to streamline your morning and night time routines so that things are less chaotic. If you find your mind racing before bed, make a list of everything you have to accomplish the next day. Having the physical reminder of what you need to do can put your mind at ease and allow you to relax.

Rubin also suggests that light physical activity can increase happiness. "Go outside and take a walk," she says. "You give yourself more energy, you increase your focus... the difference between getting a little bit of exercise and no exercise is huge." Physical activity is a great stress reliever.

To learn more about Gretchen Rubin's experiment, visit www.Happiness-Project.com.

By Erin Petrun