Definitely Not the Opera·DNTO

7 simple ways to get happy

We're in the dark days of winter, so it's easy to feel down in the dumps. And Blue Monday - supposedly the most depressing day of the year - is just around the corner. It's time to talk about happiness.
DNTO has seven tips to put a smile on your face. (Youtube)

We're in the dark days of winter, so it's easy to feel down in the dumps. It doesn't help that the dollar has bottomed out, it's freezing outside, and all anyone wants to do is roll up into a ball and stay in bed.

There's also Blue Mondaysupposedly the most depressing day of the year,  just around the corner.

So DNTO figured it's the perfect time to talk about happiness!

Michael Norton says interacting with strangers is a key to happiness. (TEDxCambridge)

Michael Norton, professor at Harvard Business School, says we should interact with strangers. "We know that one of the things that makes people happiest is interacting with other people, but most people are strangers," he said.

Candy Palmater feels happy when she dances. (The Candy Show)

Canadian comedian Candy Palmater, suggests that we ​dance like no one is watching. Find out why she says "I'd show up at the Golden Age Club about 15 minutes before midnight, and my dad would take me for a spin around the floor and foxtrot." 

Beth Wareham is the author of The Power of No - How to Keep Blowhards and Bozos at Bay. (Hay House UK Ltd)

Beth Wareham, author of The Power of No - Take Back Your Life with a Two-Letter Word encourages us to just say no.  "Take a deep breath and give yourself time to think about it," Beth said. "There are very few things that are such an emergency that they need an answer right now."

Boost your happiness with some quality tree time, says landscape architecture prof William Sullivan. (CBC)
William Sullivan, University of Illinois landscape architecture professor thinks everyone should engage in some quality tree time whenever they can. "People that have more trees compared to their peers who are similarly situated have more satisfaction with their neighborhoods and profoundly more satisfaction with their lives," according to William.

Sing your way to happiness with someone you love, say Lorie Meyer and Dan Coop. (Youtube)

Lorie Meyer and her father Dan Coop believe you should sing with someone you love. "When my dad sang to us, it made us feel everything was in order," she said. "We were secure, special and safe... it was easy to fall asleep."

(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishers)

Dr. Robert Emmons, professor of psychology at the University of California Davis, wrote Thanks: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier. He says you should express gratitude, and you'll feel like a million bucks.

Author Robb Lucy says it's important to leave a legacy. (Engage Communications Inc.)

Robb Lucy, co-founder of the Make-A-Wish foundation and author of Legacies Aren't Just for Dead People!, says we should leave a legacy. "When we start to use our talents in building legacies, we are the happier people in the world."