Your 10-point plan for happiness

1 - Look after your feet

Repay them for their years of support with good supportive footwear and regular visits to the podiatrist. After all, it’s hard to smile when your feet are sore.

2 - Start walking

It’s a proven antidote to a dose of the blues. Dress appropriately for the weather and leave your excuses at home. Even five minutes’ walk up and down your drive way is good rehabilitation after injury or ill health. Ten minutes’ brisk walking is enough to make you feel noticeably better. Aim for 30 minutes, three or four times a week.

3 - Look after your eyes

Schedule regular eye checks for glaucoma and other eye diseases. Failing eyesight need not be part of old age.

4 - Life balance

Practice standing on one leg to maintain tone and balance. Start by holding onto the back of a chair for support. Close your eyes, count to 10 and repeat with the other leg.

5 - Fun brain games

Fun brain games sharpen your reaction times and help prevent dementia. Learning a second language boosts your grey matter by opening new neural pathways. See www.memory-improvement-tips.com

6 - Get enough sleep

Swap catnaps in your chair with a little regular exercise to restore a night-time routine. Make sure you’re warm and relaxed before bed. Try not to take your worries to bed with you.

7 - Fruit and vegetables

Add more colourful fruit and vegetables to your diets. Try new vegetables, expand your recipe repertoire and add extra vitamins and antioxidants to your arsenal against illness.

8 - Maintain oral hygiene

Maintain good oral hygiene to help prevent a variety of dental and medical problems, such as gum disease, infection, bone loss, heart diseases and strokes. Regular check ups and cleanings can prevent these problems.

9 - Love a pet

Owning a cat cuts the risk  of strokes and heart attacks by one-third, by reducing the level of stress hormones in the blood, according to Minnesota University (USA) study.

10 - Adopt a satisfying philosophy to life

Let bygones be bygones, look forward with hope and optimism. Be forgiving and loving towards others. Replace those negative thoughts with positive affirmations, stand up straight, smile and take a deep breath.

Polident® is a registered trade mark of the GlaxoSmithKline group of companies.
 

Published 16th Mar 2010

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