21 Days to Happiness

“Change your thoughts and you’ll change your world”
Norman Vincent Peale

Welcome to our 21 Days to Happiness Package!

We are so excited that you are able to join us for three weeks of looking at how we can empower ourselves to make better choices in our lives leading to greater joy, happiness and peace. Research strongly suggests that we have a large capacity to determine our own happiness, regardless of external circumstances, and this toolkit is about you taking everyday steps to do just that. Enjoy, feedback, have fun!

The 21 Days to Happiness Package is about empowering ourselves to make better choices in our lives leading to greater joy, happiness and peace. Research strongly suggests that we have a large capacity to determine our own happiness, regardless of external circumstances, and this toolkit is about you taking everyday steps to do just that.

There are two distinct elements to our package:

Movement and Meditation

Each day there’s a video of breathing (five minutes), gentle stretching (five minutes), and meditation (five minutes) for you to follow. The practices change daily, and build over the three weeks. It’s only fifteen minutes, and evidence shows that regularly quietening the mind (which is what our films are all about) will greatly enhance focus, clarity and attention span – as well as rewire the brain to improve your happiness! If instead of stretching, for any reason, you would like to just quieten the mind, then we offer a number of shorter meditations that require no physical movement and allow you to adapt to your ability.

Happinesshub Hint

To get stuck in follow our daily Happynesshub Hints, with associated films from Sally. These Hints are practical acts that can take as little as a couple of minutes out of your day, but if focused on, repeated and practised regularly will make a real difference to your life. Sally’s films will add flesh to the exercise and support you in your journey.

So please set aside only 20 minutes each day for the next three weeks and see if you can make a genuine shift in your life. Even if you only follow our Happynesshub Hint daily you will still experience change.
Give it a go!

Let’s Get Started!

So to kick off, let me ask you now: Out of 10, what number level of happiness are you? What would you say? Write it down. And then repeat this question in three weeks time after you’ve followed our package. My hope is that this number will be different and you will be able to recognise that. For me, I undertook to follow this work for six months – and my happiness levels jumped from 4/10 to 8/10. So my wish is that this is the start of a life-long transformation for you all. Enjoy!

With love, Sally

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10

Day 11

Day 12

Day 13

Day 14

Day 15

Day 16

Day 17

Day 18

Day 19

Day 20

Day 21

New links to our latest research articles including happiness and health, forgiveness and social connections…

Article 1

Health & Happiness

Article 2

Relationships & Happiness

Article 3

Forgiveness & Happiness

FAQs

What are the Happynesshub Hints?

Our Happynesshub Hints are practical steps we can all take to improve our day-to-day lives and emotional wellbeing. Supported by daily films from Sally, which clarify and outline the exercises, many of them are looking at our internal mindset, the way we talk to ourselves, and the steps we take consciously or unconsciously to make ourselves happy, or importantly limit our own happiness.

Some of the days’ Hints will really resonate with you, others may not. Some may give you an ‘aha’ moment where you had no idea you had been doing that. Others will perhaps provide you with surprising evidence how very simple things can genuinely transform your happiness levels.

The key thing, however, is not just finding out what these things are, but putting them into practice and replacing old unhealthy habits for new and healthy ones. This can be hard to do amidst our busy lifestyles, or if you’re poorly, or just exhausted and struggling. But it’s at these times that we most need to implement support mechanisms, however hard.

If you find yourself really short of time, why not try to follow some of our Happynesshub Hints and become aware of how your mind works and how it can govern your emotions and hence happiness levels.

What are the Movement and Meditations?

The daily videos are intended to quieten your mind. Evidence shows that the more we meditate, the less anxiety we have because we are actually loosening the connections of particular neural pathways. Our fifteen-minute films include gentle breathing, with simple yogic stretching followed by relaxation, all designed to get rid of that mind chatter and deliver a more calm, serene state. Research shows that changing our external circumstances does not change our ‘set’ levels of happiness, whereas altering our interior landscape, through training the mind, can.

If you are unable physically to follow our fifteen-minute daily video, or you simply do not have enough time, then we urge you to either try our 10-minute breathing-meditation film, or our shorter 5-minute meditation film. The key is to practise daily, even if only for 5 minutes.

We also have a two-minute emergency meditation video. This is intended to be used at those times when life and circumstance are completely overtaking you, and you feel fit to burst. Instead of shouting, panicking or firing off that abrupt email, transport yourself somewhere quiet and take a minute out. See how you feel. Hopefully you will now be in a different state of mind to take positive action, whatever the happening!

Is this a thoroughly researched evidence based package?

Yes, all of our package has been thoroughly researched by our Happynesshub team, so if you are somebody who likes to see evidence, please visit our Research page to see the science behind it. From Day 1 to 21 you can click through to see the associated research, and links to fascinating further information. Importantly everything has been tried and tested too! Putting into practice all that we are offering has genuinely changed people’s lives for the better, not just in the short-term but in the long-term too, leading to real shift. As the Happynesshub grows, so will our bank of videos and science-based research.

Do I need to be physically fit and well to follow the package?

It is important to all of us at the Happynesshub that our offerings are accessible for everyone, whatever your age, your health, and your current emotional wellbeing. At the moment, our youngest subscriber is 13 years old, and our oldest is 84!

The starting point for our Happynesshub Hints is the mind. So no particular level of physical ability is needed for these.

For our daily 15-minute videos, a level of basic physical ability is required for the middle 5-minute stretching-strengthening section. So if in doubt please consult your GP before commencing the 15-minute practice. However, because daily quietening of the mind has been proven to be so beneficial for our mental wellbeing, we have created other films for you to follow if your physical ability is limited. Please feel free to choose between our 10-minute breathing-meditation practice or our five-minute meditation practice only. If you are really pushed for time you can try our two-minute emergency meditation!

We also have 5 new audio meditations for you try daily, depending how much time you have!

Do I need any special equipment?

You will need a smart phone, tablet, laptop or computer to access the package. Other than that some type of yoga mat will be an advantage for the daily movement practice, but not an essential. Do make sure however you do not practise on a shiny surface. You will require enough space to stand up and lie down with your arms above your head.

How much time does it take to do the package daily?

Try to leave aside about 20-30 minutes daily to do the whole package.

Each Happynesshub Hint varies greatly and may take only a few minutes. Sally’s films are a couple of minutes only. But then the key is to see how you can follow this up by incorporating it into your life.

Each full movement and meditation video is approximately 15 minutes in duration. However, if you are really pushed for time you may choose to replace this daily film with a simple breathing-meditation exercise of either 10 minutes duration or a meditation only exercise of five minutes duration. If really pushed we also offer a two-minute emergency meditation, but if possible try to do minimum five minutes a day!

We also have our audio meditations which vary from 2 to 20 minutes each, so the package is very flexible.

What time of day should I do it?

It’s up to you. Most people like to do the movement and meditation videos in the mornings – but they can be followed at any time of day. The great thing about following them first thing is that it really sets your day off in a positive way! Our strong suggestion is that, if you are able, you attempt to do them at the same time every day, and create a habit. With the Happynesshub Hints it’s a good idea to read them first thing in the morning, so you can implement them throughout your day if need be. Alternatively, you can always read them the night before, prepare, and then put them into practice the following day. If you fancy a real boost, follow the movement and meditation videos in the morning and an audio meditation later in the day!

Do I need to follow the package for 21 days consecutively?

The package has been created to be followed for 21 days, every day, so this would be the ideal. If this is not possible however do not worry!

Each daily 15-minute film should be followed in chronological order starting from day 1 continuing to day 21, building as you go. So if you miss a video one day for any reason, just pick up where you left off on the next day, rather than skipping films.

Quietening the mind is something that if repeated DAILY will make a real difference. The repetition is important, so we would urge you to at least follow one of our different meditations every day, even if you are unable to do the full 15-minute film.

With the Happynesshub Hints the order is less important. They are more of an offering for you to observe how your mind works, and to see, if you put them into regular practice, how shift can occur. So feel free to dip in and out, over whatever time period, but ideally if you can follow for the 21 days that would be great!