In her article, “7 Secrets to Happiness,” writer Meaghan Buchan explores what we can all do to heighten our sense of well-being, happiness and appreciation for life.  We share her 7 secretes below, and share our thoughts on how you can find them!

1. Solid Friendships- There’s a reason why our favorite TV shows involve close-knit circles of friends (think Cheers, Grey’s Anatomy, Entourage, Sex and the City, Friends, etc).  It’s because we need friends in our lives.  Whether you roll in a big circle or with a smaller crew, being able to spend time with people who accept you for who you are (and somehow still love you!) can be one of life’s great rewards– and escapes!  So take time to nurture your friendships and keep them alive!

2. Make Life an Adventure!  Living life on the straight-and-narrow can get boring and more than a little tedious.  Chances are, you take more pleasure in the memories of your wildest adventures than you do in the memories of your day-to-day routine!  Throw some curves into your life and see how much fun it can be… not to mention the outrageous memories and crazy stories you’ll have for a lifetime!

3. Toss the Excess Baggage- Stop holding on to what you no longer need and stop spending money on what you can’t use.  Money and material goods won’t help you find your ultimate happiness, so surround yourself with items that add meaning to your life, instead of just things.  Surrounding yourself with unneccesary baggage and clutter won’t make you feel better, it will only weigh you down and waste your money.

4. Find Balance- Are you the type whose schedule is so full that you are busy right up until the moment you collapse into bed? Or are you the type who lounges around all day doing nothing? Well, either of these two extremes can leave you feeling unsatisfied at the end of the day.  Find a way to balance resposibility with fun and relaxation.  Otherwise, you run the risk of either stressing yourself out completely OR shutting yourself off from the joys of life and ignoring your responsibilities!  Re-organize your schedule so that you learn to take care of your responsibilites as well as yourself!

5. Give In To Temptation (at least sometimes)- There’s nothing wrong with being self-disciplined, but a life without any fun (chocolate, cookies, wild sex, spontaneous road trips, etc.) can be miserable.  Indulge yourself sometimes…you’ve earned it!

6. Like Yourself- Stop beating yourself up for every little mistake you make and for every little flaw you may think you have!  Holding yourself to impossible standards will only bring you down.  Buchan advises to “keep your inner critic in check.”  Be proud of who you are, and humble enough to understand that no one is perfect.  Recognize your strengths and talents and make efforts to keep improving on who you are, without hating yourself for who/what you aren’t!

7. Stop Shopping Around For Something Better- According to Buchan, “mental browsing,” or constantly convincing ourselves that something better must exist, can make us miss out on our happiness because we spend too much time constantly contemplating the other thing.  She suggests that when you find yourself with doubts about a decision that needs to be made (job, marriage, new home, etc.), try to identify 2 criteria that are non-negotiable for you, and ask yourself if they’re being met. If so, toss the other options and move on!  Harping on the “coulda, woulda, shoulda” will only bring you down and make you second guess your happiness.

So what are you waiting for??  Go out there and grab your happiness, girl!  You deserve it!

FWO-ForWomenOnline.com!