Category: health and wellness

Posted on in health and wellness, Historical, inspiration, mental health, science of happiness

How do you define happiness?

Mahatma Gandhi quote, "Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony"

It occurred to me the other day that in all the years I’ve been blogging about happiness, I have never once defined what happiness means.

Most definitions of happiness focus on two aspects: feeling joy or elation in the “now”, often referred to as hedonic happiness, or experiencing positive feelings and deeper meaning or wellbeing with life, often referred to as eudaimonic happiness. 

Here are a few to consider:

“The state of pleasurable contentment of mind; deep pleasure in or contentment with one’s circumstances.”
Oxford Dictionary

“Having both positive emotions and meaning in your life.”
Psychology Today

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”     
Mahatma Gandhi

Happiness is a complex and multifaceted mental state that encompasses a range of positive feelings, from contentment to intense joy. It is often associated with positive life experiences, such as achieving goals, spending time with loved ones, or engaging in enjoyable activities. However, happiness can also arise spontaneously, without any apparent external cause.
Wikipedia

“The experience of joy, contentment, or positive well-being, combined with a sense that one’s life is good, meaningful, and worthwhile.”
Sonja Lyubormirsky, The How of Happiness, 2007

And finally, my simpler definition of happiness:

“Feeling joy, contentment or fulfillment in any given moment or about life in general.”

Shared experiences, upbringing, and culture can influence how we define happiness. Some studies have found that people from cultures that embrace collectivist ideals define happiness more in terms of harmony and contentment, while cultures that focus on individual achievements and values connect it to feelings of exuberance and joy. 

For example, someone who experienced homelessness in their youth may say happiness is having a home while someone who grew up in a region in conflict may say happiness is being able to live in peace.

Of course, the only definition that really matters is yours.

So, how do you define happiness?

Posted on in inspiration, science of happiness, mental health, health and wellness, lake living

Strike a power pose

Girl striking a power pose on a paddleboard

The other day I was swimming in our lake visiting with my neighbours at their dock. Ashlyn, who just celebrated her tenth birthday struck this kick-ass power pose on her paddleboard, one arm bent confidently on her waist, her other arm holding the paddle firmly. She had a huge grin on her face and I told her she looked fearless, like she could take on the world. Her Mom snapped a quick picture (with me photobombing in the background).

For a ten-year old, striking a power pose may be a fun, spur of the moment natural thing to do. But studies show that striking a power pose can be a powerful technique for gaining confidence, facing difficult situations, and reducing anxiety.

Social psychologist, Harvard lecturer and TedTalk alum Amy Cuddy says striking a power pose, or adopting an “expansive posture” by standing tall and taking up space, can increase self-esteem, a positive outlook, and feelings of power.  

Cuddy says, “Bodies and minds are so closely connected…when you feel powerless, expanding your body can begin to reverse that. That’s not a trick. That’s physiology.”

Think of every Marvel or Avengers hero. They all have their own unique power poses. Superman with both hands on his waist or one arm extended in flight. Wonder Woman with her hands fixed firmly on her hips. Spiderman, crouched on his knees, his one arm bent by his side and his other hand planted on the ground.

You don’t need to be a comic book hero to strike a pose. And if you don’t care about the benefits of adopting an expansive posture, do it anyways. It’s just plain fun.

What’s your power pose?

Posted on in arts, health and wellness, Historical, inspiration, mental health, writing

Live in the imaginary world

Poster that says, "Reality is overrated"

At my last writer’s class, my friend Dallis shared a wonderful story recalling the imaginary worlds she lived in as a child.

She wrote, “With my thoughts and dreams alone, I can obtain anything I want.” The final line in the piece she shared as she looked back on her childhood years was, “My internal flight to freedom continues to enrich my life and within its comforting landscape, the child I was lives on.”

Her piece engendered a very interesting discussion about the imaginary worlds we create and live in as children and adults.

Some of the greatest thinkers, inventors and artists in the history of time lived in imaginary worlds.

Picasso said, “Everything you can imagine is real”. Albert Einstein believed, “Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere.”

Any fiction writer will tell you their brains spend a good chunk of their waking and yes, sometimes even sleeping existence, living in an imaginary world.

Imagination is an important tool for adults. It can help you come up with creative ideas and solutions to problems, see things in a new perspective, motivate you and it keeps life interesting. It can also build resilience and help you be happy.

And yet, we are taught to suppress our imaginary worlds as we age. As my friend Mo said in the discussion afterwards, living a life in reality is super imposed on us. We all have an inner life and these imaginary worlds enrich our lives.

Someone said they read somewhere that if you imagine yourself lying on a beach, it is just as good as lying on a beach.

I’m not 100% sold on this theory. It’s nice to picture yourself lying on a beach, but it will never replace the feeling of the warm sun on your body, the sound of the crashing waves and the sights of dolphins breaching the water in the distance. Still, it is a welcome escape from reality.

Reality is highly overrated. This week’s #HappyAct is to embrace your inner world and let your imagination roam free.

Read more: Have an active fantasy life

Posted on in ageing, health and wellness, Hobbies, lake living, mental health, writing

Live or let die

Heart drawn in the snow on a frozen lake

There comes a time in your life when you have to decide which of your dreams you want to let live and which of your dreams you are ready to let die.

When I was a teenager, I dreamed of performing in a symphony orchestra. I wasn’t talented enough at the flute so I let that dream die.

I also dreamed of learning to play the piano. We didn’t have a piano in our house, and my parents didn’t have enough money to buy one, so I put that dream on hold until my children took lessons. I signed up to take lessons with them and still play to this day. Check one for the live category.

When Dave and I were first married, we dreamed of buying a lakefront cottage. We never bought a cottage, but we did realize our dream of living on water when we moved to our lakefront property almost 25 years ago.

Sometimes your dreams change. At one time in my life, I dreamed of parachuting out of an airplane. We had planned to do the jump on our tenth wedding anniversary, but then I got pregnant (you can’t jump out of an airplane pregnant) and we started raising a family. Now that I’m older, I’m perfectly fine with letting that dream die. (I mean what was I thinking? Really? Jumping out of an airplane!)

I have many fantasies that fall into the “what I would do if I had all the money in the world” category. Fantasies is all they are and I’m perfectly fine knowing that’s all they’ll ever be.

There is one dream I’m not willing to let die. I want to be published. Something. Anything. And this blog doesn’t count. I’m not ready to let go of that dream yet so I will work hard in the next few years to make it happen.

It’s okay to let some of your dreams die. The only crime would be to not have dreams at all.

Posted on in global relations, health and wellness, lifestyle, mental health, science of happiness, Technology and social media

Findings from the 2026 World Happiness Report

Istanbul at sunset

In North America and Western Europe, young people are much less happy than they were a year ago.

That’s the startling first sentence in this year’s World Happiness Report, issued on March 20, World Happiness Day.

This year’s report sheds a light on the alarming use of social media, especially among young people and its negative impact on happiness.

Canada fell to 25th place in in this year’s report, continuing a decade long decline. Finland ranked #1 again for the ninth year in a row. The US ranked 23rd and Britain 29th. For the second year in a row, no English speaking countries appear in the top ten.

Social media use was cited as a troubling factor especially for teenage girls in English speaking countries and teenagers.

Some disturbing findings from this year’s report.

  • In general, most Western industrial countries are now less happy than they were between 2005 and 2010. Fifteen of them have had significant drops, compared to four with significant increases.
  • In a ranking of happiness changes for under-25s, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand (the NANZ region) rank between 122 and 133 in the list of 136 countries.
  • In a sample of US college students, the majority wish social media platforms didn’t exist. They use them because others are using them, but they would prefer it if no one did.
  • In regards to social media, “there is now overwhelming evidence of severe and widespread direct harms (such as sextortion and cyberbullying), and compelling evidence of troubling indirect harms (such as depression and anxiety).”

The report found that the nature of internet use and which age group and gender use it has a direct correlation to happiness and wellbeing. It is strongly negative for Gen Z, moderately negative for Millennials, near zero for Gen X, and slightly positive for Baby Boomers. 

One of the studies the report cited was of 15-year olds in 45 countries, where they found life satisfaction is highest at low rates of social media use and lower at higher rates of use.

Platforms designed to facilitate social connections show a clear positive association with happiness, whereas those driven by algorithmically curated content tend to demonstrate a negative association at high rates of use.

Communications, news, learning, and content creation are associated with higher life satisfaction. Social media, gaming, and browsing for fun are associated with lower life evaluations.

Last year, Australia banned social media for youth under the age of 16. Other countries say they are considering following their lead.

There was some good news in this year’s report.

  • Looking at changes in happiness from 2006–2010 compared to 2023–2025, nearly twice as many countries have had significant gains (79) than significant losses (41), the biggest winners being in Central and Eastern Europe and the biggest losers being in or near zones of conflict.
  • In eight of the ten global regions covering roughly 90% of the world’s population, those in the youngest age group have higher life evaluations now than in 2006–2010, either in absolute terms or relative to those over 25.
  • Positive emotions continue to be twice as frequent as negative emotions.
  • Outside the English-speaking world and Western Europe, the links between social media use and wellbeing are more positive, and depend greatly on the platforms used. Data from Latin America for example show that platforms with algorithmic feeds and featuring influencers are more likely to be negatively linked to life satisfaction than platforms that mainly facilitate communication.

Congratulations to Costa Rica, who jumped to fourth place (the report’s editors surmised this could be due to the quality of their social lives). Here is the list of top 10 happiest countries in the world.

  1. Finland
  2. Iceland
  3. Denmark
  4. Costa Rica
  5. Sweden
  6. Norway
  7. Netherlands
  8. Israel
  9. Luxembourg
  10. Switzerland

This week’s #HappyAct is to take a page from this year’s study and spend less time on social media. Delete an app or two. Stay happy.

Canada's ranking in 2026 World Happiness Report
Posted on in ageing, arts, community, health and wellness, mental health, science of happiness

A new prescription for better health in Canada

Heart with puzzle pieces

In November 2025, The Toronto Star ran an opinion piece called, “How the arts can help cure the loneliness epidemic. It’s called a social prescription and it’s catching on.”

Social prescribing is a relatively new philosophy and practice in health care. It involves health practitioners writing prescriptions for their patients to participate in social or physical activities, just like a prescription for traditional medicine.

Instead of asking, “what’s the matter with you?”, health care professionals ask, “what matters to you?” to prescribe activities that help patients build strong community connections improving their overall health.

The United Kingdom has been at the leading edge of social prescribing. In 2023, doctors in the UK wrote more than one million social prescriptions for patients to participate in social, cultural and nature activities. These patients saw their doctors 40% less than the regular population saving the health care system $2,400 per person.

Social prescribing is starting to take off in Canada too. A University of Toronto researcher started the Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing (CISP) in 2022 in response to the after effects of COVID-19. A national organization anchored by the Canadian Red Cross, it connects people and practices, shares knowledge and gathers data to influence policies to strengthen health and community care. There’s even a Social Prescribing Day in Canada (March 19) and week, filled with lectures and events.

I have to confess when I first read about social prescribing, I was a bit put out. Have we really come to a point where we need to rely on health care professionals to tell us to get out of the house and get active or be social? There is enough strain on the health care system already. I’m pretty sure my doctor has better things to do than discuss whether signing up for a watercolours class, drum circle or swimming lessons would improve my mental or physical health.

Some of these programs however can be expensive, even cost prohibitive for individuals. One solution is for insurance companies to offer a certain amount of coverage each year ($200-$400) as part of their benefits program for employees to participate in these types of programs, similar to the amounts allocated for physio, massage and chiropractic services.

Another solution is for employers as part of their health and wellness offerings to subsidize these programs. It’s not as crazy as you think. Good employers now offer a wide array of perks or provide financial support for programs and services that contribute to their employees’ wellbeing, such as gym memberships, fitness equipment, and educational courses.

As someone who writes, I was interested to find out that one of the organizations CISP has partnered with is the Writers Collective of Canada, which runs between 20-30 free workshops a week in major cities across Canada.

I can attest to the great value, friendship and social connection I’ve discovered through the writer’s and badminton groups I belong to through the Kingston Seniors Association.

And it’s not just seniors who can benefit from social prescribing. According to CISP, social prescribing can result in 3,900 fewer cases of adolescent depression and 3,500 years of additional schooling completed by Canadian youth aged 15-17 experiencing signs of depression.

This week’s #HappyAct is to sign up for a new activity and write your own prescription for happiness–give your doctor the day off.

Posted on in health and wellness, mental health, money, relationships, science of happiness

Feeling anxious? Try this simple technique to clear your mind

Two circles showing the things you have control over, and the things you don't

It’s an anxious world we live in. According to Anxiety Canada, 1 in 4 Canadians suffer from anxiety.

It’s normal to feel anxious sometimes. Anxiety can plague even the most positive of people. But for some, especially people who struggle with positive mental health or depression, it can become a death spiral.

What triggers anxiety can differ from person to person. Maybe it’s a job change, or the feeling of being stuck in your job. It could be worrying about money, or feeling unhappy in a relationship. I think most people are experiencing some degree of anxiety seeing what’s happening in the world today.

Recently, someone shared with me this simple five-step technique to clear your mind and be in the moment when you are feeling anxious. Focus on

  • 5 things you can see
  • 4 things you can hear
  • 3 colours
  • 2 things you can smell
  • 1 positive feeling

Finish by taking three deep breaths.

I’ve always found this graphic of two circles helpful as well. There are many variations of this graphic–this one is geared towards teenagers, but I’ve seen the same concept in corporate circles when trying to help employees through change. The first circle is everything happening in the world that you have no control over. The second circle is things you have direct control over. When your brain is feeling overwhelmed, remember the two circles and focus on the things in your life you can control.

This week’s #HappyAct is to try this simple technique the next time you’re feeling anxious.

Ed. note: This five-step technique is often referred to as a grounding technique focusing on the five senses. I prefer this variation. Studies show that anxiety plagues women more than men. If your anxiety is getting in the way of living, talk to your doctor.

Posted on in health and wellness, humour

My favourite handheld electronic device

Illustration of a woman grinning and looking devious

A few years ago, I invested in a new electronic device. It vibrates, fits easily in my hand and gives me more joy than I could ever imagine.

Every morning, I close the door and turn it on. The pleasant insistent hum makes me lick my lips in exultant anticipation.

I succumb to its rhythmic pulse, groaning with pleasure. I am whisked away from life’s pressing problems, lost in the moment and the incredible sensation tingling through my body.

I really should give it a name. Perhaps Pepe my little friend or Buzz Lightyear for taking me to infinite and beyond.

My impulse is to go fast, thrusting it quickly in and out, but the proper technique is to go slow, clenching, letting the vibrations work their magic.

For years I resisted getting one. The early models came with cords which seemed clunky and unrefined. Then battery-operated versions miraculously appeared which allowed you to tuck it away out of sight when not in use.

Sturdy, dependable, it’s become my daily hedonistic ritual. Self-gratification on steroids. A state of complete bliss.

You can use it alone, or if you’re adventurous, with friends. For maximum benefit and pleasure, you should use it every day. Twice a day is recommended.

And it’s made at least one man in my life very, very happy—my dentist.

This week’s #HappyAct is to get an electronic toothbrush if you haven’t already made the switch. Make your teeth and your dentist happy.

Ed. note: I generated the above image with AI. Would you give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down?

Posted on in health and wellness, mental health, science of happiness

Find your happiness sweetspot in 2026

sign saying The Happiness Sweetspot

It’s a New Year and as always, I wish you my loyal readers, much joy, success and most of all happiness in 2026.

One thing I’ve learned after blogging about happiness for more than a decade is we don’t always know what we want or need to do to be happier. We get caught up in the daily hamster wheel of cooking, cleaning, going to work, taking our kids to activities or rushing out to our own commitments leaving us feeling drained, exhausted and defeated. Or worse, we suffer from a general malaise, where it’s hard to see the happy in our lives.

So in the spirit of the eternal optimism a new year brings, here is a simple little exercise to help you discover what actions to take this year to be happier. I call it the Happiness Sweetspot Table.

  1. On a blank sheet of paper or in a spreadsheet, make a table with six columns across the top. In the first three columns, write
    • Things that make me happy
    • Importance (on a scale from 1-5, 5 being most important to you)
    • Frequency (on a scale from 1-5, 5 being you do them frequently and 1 being you do them rarely)
  2. In the next three columns, do the same for Things that make me unhappy
  3. Start filling out the Things that make me happy and Things that make me unhappy columns. Examples could include playing a favourite sport, spending time with friends, spending time in nature, playing guitar, etc. Try to be specific as possible. Examples of things that make you unhappy could include commuting, eating alone, cleaning the house, a volunteer commitment, etc.
  4. Next, rank how important and how frequently you do each activity on a scale from 1-5.
  5. Multiply the importance and frequency columns to get a total score for each activity.
  6. Add one final column at the end called “Things I’ve Always Wanted to Do/Try but never made time for”.
  7. Analyze your list. Your table should look something like this.
Table ranking things that make you happy

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

  1. What items received the highest score on the unhappy list and how can you reduce or eliminate them? For instance, if you hate cleaning the house, can you lighten up on the cleaning or afford a housekeeper once a month?
  2. What items on your happy list did you rank highest for importance but lowest for frequency. How can you make time for these going forward?
  3. What surprised you?
  4. What items did you add to the things you’ve always wanted to do but never made time for? What’s stopping you?

Try to be introspective and as brutally honest with yourself. While we all enjoy watching Netflix, ask yourself does it truly make you happy, or is it just a default for something to do on a cold winter night? If it doesn’t make you happy or unhappy, leave it off the list. The goal is to identify the things in your life that give you the most joy and fulfillment and the things that are acting as a drag on your happiness.

Of course, it isn’t an exact science. If you ranked “playing golf” as a 5 for importance, but 1 for frequency because it’s January, for an overall score of 5, that may not reflect how much golf makes you happy. Feel free to adjust the numbers, but also maybe think outside the box. Play some indoor golf this month, or book a golf trip if you can afford it.

Finally, identify two to three specific actions you can take this year to do more of what makes you happy, and less of what makes you unhappy. For instance, if you discovered that eating alone makes you unhappy and you eat alone seven nights a week, see if any of your friends are interested in starting a rotating potluck supper night one night a week, or suggest meeting a friend in the park for lunch once the weather gets nice.

This week’s #HappyAct is to discover your happiness sweetspots. May 2026 be your happiest year yet.

Posted on in health and wellness, lifestyle, science of happiness, travel

Take the Finnish Masterclass on happiness

Wilderness guide Petri Kokkonen, one of the instructors

It’s 10 degrees and raining right now in Finland, and yet those crazy Finns are all probably happily curled up inside in their cozy houses in front of a roaring fire with their thick, brightly-coloured woolen socks, sipping a cup of hot coffee or glogi.

Finland has been named the happiest country in the world for the last eight consecutive years in a row, according to the World Happiness Report.

Now you too can channel your inner finn and learn the Finnish methods of happiness by taking Finland’s free Masterclass of Happiness course online this fall.

After watching five online videos narrated by expert coaches on four central themes, you’ll be tasked with an assignment. The four central themes are connection to nature, health and balance, design and the everyday, and food and wellbeing.

After you complete each lesson, you’ll receive a certificate.

To give you a flavour of what to expect, in the first lesson, Petri Kokkonen, a wilderness guide who lives in the remote Vätsäri region, will help you experience the peace and tranquility of nature in daily life and help you become one with nature.

In the segment on design, design professional Taina Snellman-Langenskiöld talks about how much our homes and the spaces we visit affect our well-being.

Full disclosure: this course and site is run by Visit Finland, the country’s tourism operator and it will suggest how you can further your happiness journey with travel suggestions at the end. I became aware of it when they ran a contest the first year it was offered and held in person in Finland. The success of the course and contest made Visit Finland realize they were on to something, and they made it available to everyone online. Now the tagline “Visit Finland—the happiness country in the world” features predominantly in their advertising.

This week’s #HappyAct is to find your inner Finn and take the Masterclass in Happiness.

Related: Read about hygge, the ancient Danish tradition of creating a warm atmosphere to relax in with friends and family.