7 Traits of the

Healthiest andPeople

Happiest

Don’t change muchYou don’t have to like the Pharrell Williams song “Happy” to be happy. If Motorhead or Mozart is more your speed, so be it. But if you find yourself not giving a sh**, well then maybe you — yes, you — should keep reading on, because after all, which one of us couldn’t use a little more happiness? In fact, making an effort to be happy is the first and best thing all happy people do.

Few are happy because of their circumstances – it’s how they respond to their circumstances, both good and bad, that gets the ball rolling. So the good news, funny enough, is that happiness isn’t built-in to you. It’s about being a little proactive by making small changes all of us guys can implement today.

Look after yourselfNo man can be happy if he’s unhealthy. Like happiness, an unhealthy life is fueled by the choices we make, be it by working 18-hour days, eating the wrong foods, or never getting your heart rate up.

Indeed, excess body weight and insomnia are two traits unhappy men share. Their happy counterparts, on the other hand, value their lives and want to keep the party going for as long as possible by making healthy choices.

Get Started LevelWeek 1) 2 sets, 5 push-upsWeek 2) 3 sets, 7 push-upsWeek 3) 3 sets, 10 push-upsWeek 4) 3 sets, 12 push-upsWeek 5) 3 sets, 15 push-ups

Go Pro LevelWeek 1) 3 sets, 10 push-upsWeek 2) 3 sets, 10 push-ups wide gripWeek 3) 3 sets, 10 push-ups narrow gripWeek 4) 3 sets, 15 push-upsWeek 5) 3 sets, 15 push-ups wide grip

Pursue your passionThat thing that makes you happy? Whether it’s time with your kids or a Jamaican beach or python wrangling (it’s surprisingly popular), your efforts to keep those people, places or things in your life can actually be more rewarding than the goals themselves.

Getting there is half the fun, as the saying goes, and if your goal makes you happy then the process will always seem worthwhile. If one of your passions can be parlayed into your career, then success –however you choose to define it – is all the more likely to follow.

Be happy with yourselfNobody’s perfect, and you don’t even have to be close to be happy. Your quirks, habits and foibles define you as a person, and if you value these idiosyncrasies then you not only value your uniqueness, but also know how to look after, and even improve yourself on your terms.

Live in the presentReminisce and anticipation are all well and good, but don’t get stuck in the past or future. As John Lennon said, “Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans,” and even if those other plans are happy ones you don’t want to miss any unscheduled happiness in the here and now.

You can’t savour the here and now if you’re distracted by the next challenge. In short, you can’t find happiness if it can’t find you.

Get Started LevelWeek 1) 2 sets, 5 push-upsWeek 2) 3 sets, 7 push-upsWeek 3) 3 sets, 10 push-upsWeek 4) 3 sets, 12 push-upsWeek 5) 3 sets, 15 push-ups

Go Pro LevelWeek 1) 3 sets, 10 push-upsWeek 2) 3 sets, 10 push-ups wide gripWeek 3) 3 sets, 10 push-ups narrow gripWeek 4) 3 sets, 15 push-upsWeek 5) 3 sets, 15 push-ups wide grip

Be gratefulListen guys, gratitude is essential for happiness. You have to truly appreciate everything you have in life in order to be satisfied with it. If you don't feel grateful, you're always going to be looking for more, no matter how much you already have.

You could make minimum wage or a six-figure salary and still constantly lust after more instead of being grateful you have a job. You could resent your parents and wish that they were different instead of appreciating the fact that they're alive and well. Express your gratitude, openly and often, for all the great things in your life, and forget what you "could" have – focus on what you do have.

Get Started LevelWeek 1) 2 sets, 5 push-upsWeek 2) 3 sets, 7 push-upsWeek 3) 3 sets, 10 push-upsWeek 4) 3 sets, 12 push-upsWeek 5) 3 sets, 15 push-ups

Go Pro LevelWeek 1) 3 sets, 10 push-upsWeek 2) 3 sets, 10 push-ups wide gripWeek 3) 3 sets, 10 push-ups narrow gripWeek 4) 3 sets, 15 push-upsWeek 5) 3 sets, 15 push-ups wide grip

Who says pessimists can’t be happy? Life is full of challenges – that’s why many pessimists say they are “realists” – but whatreally matters is how you handle them. Instead of always pointing out problems, as negative men do, and then waiting for someone else to solve them, as negative, lazy, “victims” do, take an active role indealing with issues head on. If you have outside help, fantastic. If you don’t, however, knowing that you have the power to make a difference will put you on the positive path that leads to happiness.

Be part of the solutionWho says pessimists can’t be happy? Life is full of challenges – that’s why many pessimists say they are “realists” – but what really matters is how you handle them. Instead of always pointing out problems, as negative men do, and then waiting for someone else to solve them, as negative, lazy, “victims” do, take an active role in dealing with issues head on.

If you have outside help, fantastic. If you don’t, however, knowing that you have the power to make a difference will put you on the positive path that leads to happiness.

About

Where families and men go to get healthy

The Canadian Men’s Health Foundation, a national non-profit organization created Don’t Change Much, a campaign inspiring families and their men to lead healthier lives.

With reliable information and easy tips, we know every family can make small changes that will have a big impact on their health.