True happiness

Path to true happiness 'revealed'.

Experts believe they have found the essential ingredients to make a person's life happier.  In an unusual three-month experiment, six specialists from a variety of disciplines worked to improve the happiness levels of a typical UK town.  The experts tried and tested 10 simple measures in the quest for happiness.  They found successful strategies included nurturing a plant, smiling at strangers and cutting television viewing by a half.  A four-part observational documentary series, Making Slough Happy, beginning on BBC Two on Tuesday, follows the team and their progress.

The full list from the article is:

• Plant something and nurture it.
• Count your blessings - at least five - at the end of each day.
• Take time to talk - have an hour-long conversation with a loved one each week.
• Phone a friend whom you have not spoken to for a while and arrange to meet up.
• Give yourself a treat every day and take the time to really enjoy it.
• Have a good laugh at least once a day.
• Get physical - exercise for half an hour three times a week.
• Smile at and/or say hello to a stranger at least once each day.
• Cut your TV viewing by half.
• Spread some kindness - do a good turn for someone every day.

Plants in my house tend to get eaten by cats, but the cats get nurtured and they seem to be thriving.  Cutting TV viewing caught my eye, we don't watch much anyway (no antenna, no cable, and no satellite), but we read.