We're often too busy making a living and keep our noses to the grindstone to think about it much, but before we can even determine how we can achieve happiness in the four most important areas of our lives, the term "happiness" needs to be examined in detail. The term means different things to different people.

There are two states of happiness-firstly, 'present moment' happiness-which is short-term and often referred to as 'pleasure;' or secondly, 'contentment' happiness about the whole of one's life which lasts longer.

Present moment happiness is a feeling-that you my get during a party, a concert, while watching a sunset, having a good meal-you just feel

Contentment happiness occurs when you look at all the different aspects of your life a sense of satisfaction knowing that your life is as you want it to be-your relationships Ye going well, you have enough to live on, your health is good, you are in a fulfilling job. It does not necessarily have the passion of present moment happiness-but it is longer-lasting.

It is certainly a definition that makes loads of sense, and while it is not physically possible for anyone to be grinning manically 24/7, the second definition of happiness is certainly achievable and something most of us experience when we do stop to ponder if we're happy. All too often, we experience "contentment" happiness without really knowing it; sometimes realizing it when we reminisce about good times gone by and think with a sigh, "ah, yaw happy I was then."

But if you're currently feeling unhappy, how do you go about attaining a happy mindset?

Be clear about what you want in life, and work for it. Take control of the actions you hoed to take to achieve the outcome you want. Do not expect handouts. No one can 'make you happy.' The capacity to be happy or unhappy lies within each one of us. We can 'make' ourselves happy or unhappy simply by reading the circumstances and events around us in either a positive or negative way (i.e. the cup is either half full or half empty).

But even if we do know what constitutes happiness, all is futile without a good mental state. We may not stop to regard how important mental health is as we rush about our day-to-day activities at breakneck speed; but let's face it, without good mental health, no one can function normally.

Yet every day, we tax our minds with stress, unhappiness and worry caused by deadlines, job insecurity, worthless stocks, retrenchment, debts and other corporate calamities. And when we fall ill mentally, it creeps up on us most insidiously. Before you know it, you're neck-deep in the dreaded ailment called depression. But what is depression? What can we do to stop ourselves from getting stuck in it? And, is it pos to avoid it amid such turbulent times?

A certain amount of stress is necessary for the individual to build resilience and to propel him through his life cycle. It is the excessive stress that puts one's physical and emotional health at risk.

As for the tell-tale signs of depression, Depression refers to clinical depression. This is a medical condition characterized by feeling much more depressed and for a longer duration then the usual short-lived reactions to minor setbacks. The quality of the depressed mood is more intense and melancholic; it is an emotional pain that can be very distressing. There is usually an inability to experience joy, and a sense of helplessness and hopelessness prevails. Usually there is a loss of interest in daily activities, appetite and sleep difficulties. Often, there is a tendency to ruminate obsessively or feel guilty about some past wrongdoing. Sometimes, the mind goes blank and there may be difficulties with concentrating and remembering things. When severe, suicidal thoughts become more frequent."

As for what causes depression, some people have a genetic vulnerability to depression. There may be a family history of depression, anxiety or even suicide. It's in their genetic programming. They may respond negatively to stress, hence a severe, overwhelming event can tip them into depression. Which brings one to the all-important question: How should one get out of depression and attain better mental health that ultimately leads to happiness?

All methods to lead a healthy lifestyle help in countering stress to a certain extent. Common sense measures include getting enough rest, proper nutrition, regular cardiovascular exercise, intellectual stimulation, social interaction, meditation, spiritual pursuits, and avoiding vices like drugs, nicotine and alcohol. Bibliotherapy- reading books about how to cope with stress is also a very useful step. These books tell us how to use cognitive-behavioural therapy and other techniques to counter depressive symptoms. However, there is no simplified solution for each case of clinical depression. Every individual has different experiences and treatment is individualized to each patient. But one useful technique that psychiatrists use is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), where we teach the patients to take a step back and evaluate problems from a more logical perspective. In other words, we teach to rely more on the facts of a the situation, rather than just going by feelings alone, which tend to be skewed negatively when one is depressed.

These five tips that you should take to prevent depression. One should put things into perspective by focusing on the good things that one has. In times of trouble, one should also talk to friends and family, and avoid isolating oneself. Keeping one's mind and body active, managing stress effectively and exercising also help one to fight stress and feel happier during troubled times.

Sure, it doesn't take a genius to figure out the serious repercussions of neglecting one's body and physical well-being. But when the papers are spewing depressing news every day of the week about failed bailouts, lost jobs and busted banks, what can one do to make sure one's body is in tip-top condition and, thus, achieve some form of happiness and well-being?

Being an ambassador for holistic living includes sharing life experiences, certain tested methods of solutions and an opportunity to share a different light on one's current life, constantly taking into consideration the entity of a life and how we are all connected. My life experiences and education have provided me with a 'toolbox' of remedies for my clients. These include natural remedies of different types, discussions, jokes, dance, exercise, facts, and diagrams, a homemade plumbing system, music and walks. I certainly do not have all the answers but I do try to find the best solution, even if it is temporary.

Unconventional remedies aside, there are other things you can do to improve your physical condition with happiness as the ultimate goal. That includes what you do in your working life, since we all unfortunately spend a huge chunk of our lives slogging for our monthly pay check.

So how does one improve work conditions? There is an old exhortation about work-'whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your strength, and all your might, and as best as you can.' With such a work attitude, one would find joy, pride and a sense of fulfilment in whatever work one has to do. When work is done with joy and pride, the strain and negative tension experienced will not be there."

While it is possible to summon up some joy and pride in one's work, the tactics one employs while working is also important. Make time every day to spend by oneself, reflecting on how you would like to spend the day. Pencil in activities that you would like to do. Planning ahead ensures that you actually get to do these, and (it) will help you take control of your time-rather than let time-gobbling irritants and 'forever urgent and immediate' non-essential demands eat up your time.

Of course, a discussion about how to keep physically well would not be complete without the loathed "e" word-exercise.

There are two main categories of exercises: Firstly, exercises for cardiac fitness and general good health. This requires aerobic activities like brisk walking, running, cycling, swimming for a minimum of 30 minutes up to four times a week. Foregoing this spells physical unfitness and opens the door to serious cardiovascular ailments. The second main type of exercise is for maintaining flexibility-this includes stretching and breathing exercises, yoga, taichi, qigong, etc. These exercises help to safeguard against muscle strains, and keep us mobile and pain-free from physical exertions.

After the steady onslaught of bad news the world has received about the state of the global economic climate over the past two months, many people have been left with worthless investments and hefty losses after the unfortunate demise of some of the world's most established banks.

Two thousand and nine now officially looks to be one the bleakest years we've had in a while after the glorious upswing the world economy enjoyed the past two years. Virtually everyone is suffering the brunt of a weak economy in some way or other pay cuts, retrenchments, pay freezes and all. More than ever, we need some handy financial wisdom to be dispensed to us. The question that is in everyone's minds is: What one do to improve one's financial status given the gloomy forecast ahead? How can one feel happier about the bearish stock market and gloomy growth forecasts? What sort of mentality should one adopt in the New Year and how can one preserve one's sanity should everything continue to worsen drastically? Will having more moolah make one happier? Yet, more important tautly, what should someone who has had their savings wiped out or greatly diminished by the current economic recession do to achieve some form of financial stability right now?

The very first thing that the particular individual should embark on is to sit down, take out a blank piece of paper and analyze his or her financial position with regards to commitments. Draw a line right down in the middle and write on boils sides of the line with a heading 'Needs' and 'Wants.' This is to assist in listing down the commitments that they are responsible for now. Think really deep and hard while wilting the list and consider if the supposed 'Need' could actually be a 'Want.' Start setting the list right, throw away the 'Wants' and you will be surprised by how much unnecessary my expenditure exists in your life, while the going was good. This is one way to increase and refund your savings at a higher rate.

As different individuals have different risk appetites and profiles. It do always remember that it will be wise to speak with a qualified advisor o r consultant as it is of great importance to go through a full fact find and risk profiling to fully understand your profile and needs before proceeding with any investments. Prudence is key-not only in a downturn but it all times, which ironically seems logical enough but is conveniently ignored by a lot of people.

But how much of our happiness is dependent on having lots of moolah? Can money buy happiness? And if we have insufficient amounts of money, whit then? Are we then denied the right to be happy? Well, there is this old saying that money is the root of all evil ... I beg to differ. Be the master to money, not its slave. That way, it won't be evil. Happiness with regard to financial status comes about not from how much you have, but more on how well you can use it to bless the people around you.

Things like riches, education and material possessions, do very little to enhance happiness. We obviously do need money to achieve life's basic needs-but research is fairly consistent that money above a certain amount has almost no impact on happiness. Material pleasures give little happiness, which is significant as many people build their lives around pursuing them. How many condominiums, cars and yachts will make you happy? I often ask people to think of their last moment on earth-will you look back and say 'what a great life-look how much money I made?' I don't think so.

So if money can't buy happiness, and assuming one has achieved fabulous mental, physical and financial health, what else do we need to be happy?

In anyone's life, it's the people whom we love that make life worth living-much, much more than money does. Long-term happiness is more to do with the quality of relationships and with the unique contribution you make. Sure, money or financial stability can bring about happiness, but it is at best only short-lived. In fact, the four factors that "build happiness are within the grasp of everybody.

These four factors are: Friends and family, engagement ("in work, romance, and community"), a sense of purpose, and personal meaning ("a feeling that you are developing your talents"). The message is clear then: It is imperative to cherish one's family and friends whom we can fall back on for support and companionship during trying times. Good times spent with family and friends will give one a sense of happiness-even in less than ideal times.

But romantic relationships also come under the broad category of relationships. However, while romantic liaisons can cause euphoria, it can plunge one into the depths of despair too when things do not go well. Coupled with the stress one feels over the turbulent economic climate, one can fall into a black hole of sadness if these negative feelings are not handled properly. Singles who are unable to find "The One" can also be prone to feeling lost, unhappy or envious or others who seem to be involved in what seem like fulfilling relationships (whether real or perceived). So how can one feel happier about their existing romantic relationships or lack of one? Does being in relationship guarantee happiness? Not so, in a recent survey conducted by us, we found out that singles are not necessarily miserable and couples are not necessarily happier. Happiness is a state of mind and it must come from within. It starts with an individual loving him or her first. It is not an act of selfishness, but it is known that you can only give and share love when you have loved in the first place. An individual must be able to find harmony within before he or she can harmonize with another individual. Only when both partners in the relationship are completely happy with themselves individually can they find greater happiness as a couple.

Couples who may feel some form of stress in their relationship caused by bad times. She stresses the need for couples to stick together more than ever-"We also found out that couples who celebrate their partners' successes report a higher level of satisfaction in their relationships and are less likely to break up. Similarly, couples who also show their strong support during challenging times also tend to have more enduring relationships. We also found out that individuals go through a period of self-reflection and reprioritization during tough times. Being in a relationship always ranks the highest above career, prestige and wealth accumulation because of the joy and peace of mind that it brings. When situations are less than desirable, individuals tend to refocus their energy on the people they care about and whom they can count on the most.

So what sort of mindset should one face the New Year with? Suffice to say, it is important that one count his/her blessings regularly, practice acts of kindness, savour life's joys, invest in friends, take good care of one's health and develop lasting strategies for coping with stress. Happy New Year!