Your Happiness Factor

Action for Happines s is a new movement for positive social change . They're bringing together people from all walks of life who want to play a part in creating a happier society for everyone. For fifty years we've aimed relentlessly at higher incomes. But despite being much wealthier, we're no happier than we were five decades ago. At the same time we've seen an increase in wider social issues, including a worrying rise in anxiety and depression in young people. It's time for a positive change in what we mean by progress. Read more  

I've  decided to add another blog to the family –  Leaving the Public Sector  - and I’m seeking your help.  Following the 2010  Spending Review  it was revealed that between them UK Government departments were expected to shed over 100,000 civil service posts as part of their efforts to reduce administration costs.    The Government's cull of quangos, in which 192 public bodies are to be abolished and a further 112 will be merged, will also contribute to an overall headcount loss in the civil service In addition vast numbers of posts are likely to be lost from the wider public sector - Local Authorities, the NHS etc . Many public servants have already been invited to consider taking voluntary redundancy, and many more will be invited to do so as reorganisation plans begin to take shape.  Compulsory redundancies cannot be ruled out. For many public servants this is a time to consider the future and the challenge it presents. Four years a...

For me, like most of us, happiness (and health) comes from keeping a balance between body, mind and spirit! I tend to be obsessive!   Again, like all of us, there are times when I have focussed on one part of the triangle at the expense of the others. Unfortunately I go to extremes. In my time I have;       Been so focussed on work that I ignored the early signs of quite a serious illness.   Trained in the gym five days a week and weakened my immune system by combining that with an almost completely fat-free diet!   Taken up quite bizarre religions in my search for spiritual fulfilment and ended up disillusioned and depressed! A sad tale and I’m still working on maintaining the balance!  Still I do not eat a balanced diet and get the right amount of exercise – I’m trying hard! I really enjoy my work, but I need to be a bit more disciplined about getting away from it sometimes. As for spirituality, well simplicity h...

Inspiration - Daffodils Every day, even when I am working at home, I make sure I get out of the house and go for a walk.  Today, I didn’t want to go – it is a dark, cold, grey kind of day and I wanted to stay inside in the warmth and comfort of my home. But I pushed myself and got out there.  Wasn’t I pleased that I had!  Even in suburban South London, there the signs of early spring and these are as bright as sunshine!  Inspiration - Primroses I found a small clump of primroses shyly smiling at the world.    In sheltered spots there were the first dafodils!  And there it was, my Mother’s  favourite,  forsythia; blooming away and determined to flash its colours to the dismal sky.  They made me feel inspired and so when I came back in, I decided to write this post! You see we all can find inspiration around us!  And it is not just in nature! Inpiration - Forsythia Are there books that you have always lo...

We can’t avoid stress but we can learn to counteract it! Relaxation can help to relieve the symptoms of  stress. It can help you calm down and take a step back from a stressful situation . This is particularly important, if you find yourself frequently in situations that make you feel angry or frustrated.  When you feel like that you certainly don’t perform well. Nor can you respond to others in a positive way.  Using a simple relaxation technique will not remove the cause of your anxiety.  But it should help you deal with it in a more constructive way. You can act once you have released the tension in your body and cleared your thoughts. Most relaxation techniques combine breathing more deeply with relaxing your muscles. Don't worry if you find it difficult to relax at first. It's a skill that needs to be learned. It will come with practice. Practise for three to five minutes, two to three times a day! You can use ...

Most of us loose confidence when we lose a job.   It’s not just about losing the income but it affects your image of yourself!   Many of us value ourselves based on our work.   For many of us work is the place where we spend the most of our waking life.   It’s often where we find our friends and make our major achievements.   So when we lose a job we feel we lose part of ourselves and we grieve for it. But you can get over it – just like any grief.   You are much more than your job and your real friends and family value you for much more than your salary even when they are dependent upon it. Now is the time to go to work on anew project and that new is very special because it is you! Here are some points for you to consider! Understand this happened If you have been made redundant then remember it’s not personal – you were just unlucky! Plus it makes you part of a very large and growing club.   If you lost your job for other reasons then make sur...