Tips & Tools February 14, 2025
101 Ways To Get Healthier and Happier – In Just Five Minutes
Curated by Vicki Stockbridge
Introducing an ultimate guide to a happier and healthier you, all in just five minutes! Discover the secrets to lifting your mood instantly with this list of 101 simple, yet effective ways to brighten your day. From throwing open your windows to belting out your favorite tune or savoring a comforting cup of hot chocolate, Guardian writers and readers share their tried-and-true tips to boost your well-being in record time. Get ready to transform your daily routine and experience the joy of quick, uplifting habits!
The first five include:
- Pay one person who isn’t expecting it a compliment. This will lift your mood as well as theirs. It could be to someone close to you, or a guy you’ve just met, but it has to be considered. It can’t just be “You look nice” (unless they habitually look like crap, and for some reason today they don’t). Try to make it a close observation: for instance, I told a lady on the delicatessen counter in the Ramsgate Waitrose that her eyeball estimation of the weight of things was the best I’d ever seen. That was in 2004. She still says hello to me. Zoe Williams
- Try alternate nostril breathing. I’m a big fan of yin yoga, which often starts with breathing exercises. This is my favourite – it’s very calming. Hold your right hand over your nose and rest your index and middle fingertips in the space between your eyebrows. Block your right nostril with your thumb and inhale through your left nostril. Block your left nostril with your ring finger, release your thumb, and exhale through your right nostril. Inhale through your right nostril. Block your right nostril with your thumb, release your ring finger, and exhale through your left nostril. That’s one round: in through your left, out through your right, in through your right, out through your left. Repeat for up to five minutes. Rachel Dixon
- Grab some weights. I keep two 3kg dumbbells on my desk. Every time I need a pick-me-up, I reach for them and lift them 10-15 times. It wakes me up more than a coffee – and it’s good for maintaining muscle. Sometimes I lift them during video calls when I don’t need to show my face. Viktoriya Blazheva, Milan
- Have a cuddle. Whenever my partner or I need it, we’ll lie down and hold each other. Even just a few minutes lowers our stress levels, as the happy hormones are released. Jenjen, Devon
- Smell a winter forest. Find a clump of trees near you. Walk in. Inhale. As leaves fall and decompose, they are digested by bacteria and fungi. Cold air traps fewer smells than warm air, leaving our senses less overloaded than in summer, so we are especially receptive to the odour produced. Many people find this smell immensely comforting and bracing. Nigel Kendall.
Access the full list of 101 Ways To Get Healthier and Happier – In Just Five Minutes here.