We all want to be happy, or maybe just a bit happier than we are already. We often tend to compare ourselves with others, whom we see as happier than we are. Instead why not focus on yourself and take a few actions every day to increase your level of happiness? Here are my first five tips to help you be happy.

1. Breathe: in the West we often breathe very shallowly. Just taking time to become aware of your breath will calm you. Then begin to count as you slowly inhale, then count to the same number again as you slowly exhale. As you repeat this process you will find yourself taking longer and deeper breaths, and becoming more relaxed.

2. Relax: life in modern society is frequently stressful, but the stress can be controlled if you find a method of relaxing which suits you. Activities such as yoga and Pilates concentrate the mind on what the body is doing and give you a break from endless thinking and worrying. Try a meditation tape or technique to quieten the mind and put things back into perspective. Attend a class and learn to relax alongside other like-minded people.

3. Visualise: imagine your favourite place, a place where you feel relaxed, at home and protected. This could be a beach, park, lake, mountain or building. Start to notice your senses - what do you see, what can you hear, what smells are present, is there a taste associated to where you are, what can you feel around you (warm sand, cool water, soft fabric)? Imagine your closest friend there with you, someone you feel totally comfortable with. Keep exploring and notice how you are feeling. You can do this for as long as you wish.

4. Exercise regularly: get out at lunchtime or when there is a natural break in your work and have a walk, go swimming or go to the gym. Try to be aware of what you are doing, how your body is moving and what is happening around you and you will let go of anxieties quicker.

5. Find a purpose for your life: do you have a purpose for your life other than earning money? You will be happier if you do. A Dutch study looked at the aspirations of two groups of students those on a business course and those training to be teachers. The business students were more likely to be interested in making money, while the teachers were more concerned with helping their pupils. The study found that the teachers, although earning less, ended up much happier than the business students.

Give these tips a try and see how much they help. Then have a look at my article Be Happy 5 More Tips for some more simple suggestions to increase your happiness.

Andy Britnell

Andy Britnell has worked as a professional musician, a cheesemonger and in hotels, including Claridges and the Savoy in London. He spent 15 years with BT, latterly designing and delivering international management, sales and graduate development programmes. He now lives in Cornwall, UK, where as well as enjoying the surf and the coastal footpath, he runs a training and coaching practice specialising in sales, customer service and personal development training for the private and public sectors. He is an accredited coach and trainer of the Insights Discovery System which is a model based on the pioneering personality profiling work of Carl Jung. Using colour as a common language for better understanding of self and others, it helps people operate and communicate more effectively. Andy gains great satisfaction from helping his clients to grow and learn, and from the rapid progress they make in their business and personal lives. He works constantly on his own development and practises Ki Aikido, the ancient Japanese art of working with energy.