It’s a new year and many have vowed to make it a good one. A great place to start is with a positive attitude.

Try these five things to increase your happiness:

  1. Go with the flow – Flow is about doing activities you enjoy, that challenge you, and you lose track of time when you do them. Some examples include carpentry, sewing, skiing or other hobbies you love.
  2. Physical activity – It’s simply about doing more! Park the car farther from the door at the mall. If you can walk for five minutes, why not 10?
  3. Practice mindfulness – Take a break from the chaos of everyday life. Use mindfulness skills, such as meditation, to come back to the moment and shut out the chaos.
  4. Savour the moment – Take the time to enjoy the things around you. Enjoy these experiences using all your senses in the moment you live them – this gives you a strong memory to recall when you need it.
  5. Use the power of optimistic thinking – We can learn to change the way we think about negative experiences. For example: The boss asks you to stay late. Instead of thinking about how much you want to go home, think about how you will miss the heavy traffic on the drive home and how you’ll be able to leave early another day.

These are just five of the 11 tips you’ll learn in the Calgary Foothills PCN’s free four-week workshop Happiness Basics.

Register online or by phone at 1-855-79-CFPCN (23726).

Watch PCN Team Lead Teri Zucht give tips for the pursuit of happiness on CBC Calgary.