7 Ways to Be Happier at Home

In my new one-minute video book trailer, I list "Ten ways to be happier at home." Some of those suggestions are serious, and some are goofy (to my surprise, my suggestion regarding purple has turned out to be fairly controversial). Here's another list of ways to be happier at home-or, at least, they've made me happier at home.

One of these items is important enough to be listed in both places. Can you guess which one?

1. Get enough sleep.

2. Embrace good smells. No cost, no calories, no energy, no time-a quick hit of pleasure.

3. Cultivate a shrine.

4. Accept yourself, and expect more from yourself.

5. Give warm greetings and farewells. I was surprised by how much this resolution changed the atmosphere of my home.

6. Abandon your self-control. Well, this one really works for for my fellow abstainers, not moderators.

7. Remember the Sixth Splendid Truth: The only person you can change is yourself.

What else would you add to the list?

The photo above is included in Happier at Home. As a confirmed under-buyer, I almost never make impulse purchases, but last fall when I saw this Christmas ornament, a tiny model of the "Play Family" Fisher-Price house that my sister and I played with for years, and that my daughters play with now, I had to have it. I love miniatures, and it seemed like the perfect memento to keep in my office, as a reminder of the time I spent writing this book. Plus, the doorbell actually rings! Who could resist?

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The book give-away continues. If you'd like to win a free copy of Happier at Home, I'm giving away one book each day until publication. Enter your name and email in the sign-up form here, and every day, a name will be picked at random. U.S., Canada, and U.K. only-sorry about that restriction on the give-away.

If you're wondering about the book, you can learn more about it here or…

--read a sample chapter on the subject of "time" here

--watch the new one-minute book trailer on "Ten ways to be happier at home"

-pre-order the book here (buy early and often!)