Find your happy spot with simple daily habits

January can be a tough month with its short, cold and grey days. But what if you made space for a bite-sized project — one that allows you to make micro changes that could form the foundation of contentment?

Habits are fundamental to happiness says Gretchen Rubin Picture: iStock 

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it,” said the lead character in the iconic 1986 film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

Gretchen Rubin came to the same conclusion while riding a New York City bus in the early noughties. Realising that the “days are long but the years are short” prompted the former lawyer and beyond-busy mum of two to ask herself, “What do I want from life?” Her answer was simple: I want to be happy.