Beat the January blues and share your secrets of happiness to win a copy of THE SECRETS OF HAPPINESS by Lucy Diamond plus a SHEER BLISS PAMPER HAMPER!

[UrsulaMumsnet]

Defy Blue Monday by sharing the secrets to your happiness for a chance to win a copy of Lucy Diamond's new novel The Secrets of Happiness plus a fabulous Sheer Bliss Pamper Hamper

What is the secret of happiness? Family? Love? Endless chocolate? Stepsisters Rachel and Becca certainly aren’t experts. They've never been close and seem to live perfectly opposite lives - Rachel has the house, husband and kids, while Becca lurches from one dead-end job and bad date to another. But when Rachel doesn't come home one night, Becca realises that her life isn't as perfect as she'd thought, and when the two stepsisters are thrown together, they discover that happiness, like love, can hide in the least likely of places.

Lucy Diamond is the bestselling author of Summer at Shell Cottage. You can find her on Twitter and Facebook.

This discussion is sponsored by Pan Macmillan and will end on 15 February. We will post the winner on the thread on that date.

If you're down just think of something that has made you smile in the last few days however silly and this will break your negative train of thought and give you space to think more positively

A good book and a glass of wine in the bath. Pure bliss for an hour :-)

Happiness to me is purely filtering the negatives from my life and putting my time and effort into those who appreciate me.
On the other hand... Chocolate and a glass of Bailey's are pretty good at putting a smile on my face after a long day! xx

I strongly believe in fate. It's magic and good things do happen but when they're not just focus on what has previously gone right and look back at photos to re live those memories

Recognising kindness in others and sending a thank-you note or card

Happiness is not a realistic aim, acceptance and occasional satisfaction, yes. Positive thinking is a load of bollocks, in my book, be grateful yes, try to ruminant only a little, but shit happens, we all die and nasty things happen to all of us over time. Acceptance of this can bring far more peace than striving for an unattainable happiness which is just not the human condition.

Knowing all the family are OK means I can have a little me time. Baking cakes, reading books, playing with the cats and dogs and talking to my hens.

Compassion for myself and others, i.e. wisdom to understand how I/others feel, strength/courage to face the hard times, motivation/commitment to change what needs changing and all done with an attitude (as much as possible) of warmth and non-judgement.

Chocolate, and thinking of those less fortunate.

Don't stress!! Sounds hard but when you feel yourself getting stressed take a breath and tell yourself "I will be laughing when I talk about this tomorrow." You will also be happier if you stop worrying about what other people think about you and concentrate on living your life.

Wine! Chocolate! Ooh Baileys hot chocolate. But really my girls/our family is my happiness

Roaring with laughter with a group of friends, or family, over shared memories, while making new ones. My happiness is rooted in the present, and the past but I always try to look forward to things too. And, when I can, I read where I find more friends and family - I am part of a new world created by a writer.

Oh, and failing that, wine helps.

A hood book and chocolate!

A windy walk, preferably by the beach, a hot cup of tea in peace and my kiddies when they really get the giggles!

Money would help but that's definitely not where it's at ....

You're more likely to get a smile out of me with :-

• A simple act of kindness
• A hug
• Something homemade by the kids (however ridiculous!)
• Dark mint chocolate (my weakness)
• Kissing my kids (esp on that soft snuggly bit on the back of their necks)
• Dogs with velvet ears
• A good cup of tea
• Doing a job without me having to ask - or nag (more than once)
• An hour with a good book (in peace)
• Sunshine
• Snow
• Feeling good
• Doing a good turn for someone else
• Finding something I've been looking for
• Old photos
• Homemade biscuits and cakes
• Knowing that everything's going to be OK (we have daily crises!)
• Getting through the week unscathed
• A tickle (so long as it's not the annoying sort!)

.... and more besides!

It's often the little things!

Happiness is loving and being loved, as they say love makes the world go round.

just laugh about everything you wont be sad unless it is bad

Dancing, and spending time with friends. Even better, dancing with friends.

Also, kissing sleeping children.

love.family. togetherness kindness and care. its what comes to happiness. you always have some sort of happiness to find if you feel these things. if you feel cared about no matter what is going on in your life there will be moment where theres happiness or the sight that there could be one day in your future.

Being contented with your lot is, in my opinion, the secret to happiness but of course there is always room to try to improve it but not to become obsessed with discontent and jealousy.

Don't worry about what other people think of you and don't stress about the stuff you can't control

The secret to happiness is Hygge

It's a Danish word meaning something like contented cosiness, and the Danes are said to be the happiest people in the world, so there has to be some truth in it.

My Hygge at the moment is getting cuddled up in blankets with DS and the dogs, both of us with books, dogs snoring, warm drinks in easy reach, eating comfort food like cheese on toast, after a walk in the woods. DH doesn't get to snuggle in the blankets because he's the one supplying the warm drinks and cheese on toast.

Everybody needs Hygge to be happy. That's why I chose my username to remind me.

Counting your blessings. We all have many, no matter how harshly life has treated you.

Spending time with family and friends, being fulfilled and feeling loved.

My family and close friends, my dog, the first cup of tea and coffee in the morning, a heated blanket, chocolate, a gripping thriller (book or tv), a country walk with a flask of tea/hot chocolate, laughing until you can no longer hold yourself upright.