COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

One way to increase your happiness level is to take stock of the good things in your life:

1) Keep a “gratitude journal”: Write three to five things at least once a week. One study found that volunteers who kept such journals exercised more regularly and reported fewer aches and pains than those who kept track of hassles. (In another study, people with debilitating neuromuscular disease who kept gratitude journals found that while their physical symptoms did not improve, they did sleep better and longer.)

2) Involve the kids: Make a Thanks Tree centerpiece by writing a thankful thought on a paper leaf and hanging it from the tree branch, then planting it in a pot filled with beans.

3) Do unto others. You never feel as good about your life as when you’re helping someone else. For example, Pele Toomata’s monthly laundromat for homeless needs donations. Information: http://onebyonehawaii.org.

4) Get into a grateful state of mind: Merton Chinen suggests starting with slow, mindful breathing, then focus your mind on something positive — person, place or thing. “This simple exercise can bring you to finding peace in the moment,” he said.

5) Make a gratitude visit: Think of someone who has been important to you. Write a letter and deliver it, or better yet, read it to them.