Gretchen Rubin practically invented the concept of hacking your happiness. With her blog and then best-selling book The Happiness Project, she’s been experimenting for years with how to find and maintain happiness in this crazy world.

When someone is diagnosed with a mental health disorder such as depression or anxiety, first line treatments usually include psychological therapies and medication. What’s not always discussed are the changeable lifestyle factors that influence our mental health. Even those who don’t have a mental health condition may still be looking for ways to further improve their mood, reduce stress, and manage their day-to-day mental health.

How do you think of yourself? As a leader? Someone who doesn’t take any BS? The underdog?

Happiness, it’s been said, is the goal of all human endeavour. Why else do we strive to improve medicine, strengthen economies, raise literacy, lower poverty, or fight prejudice? It all boils down to improving human well-being.

Video: We’re social creatures by nature who rely on one another, so we automatically seek out people to create substantial relationships. But how many friends do you need in your life? And how many can you actually have?

Australians, as their reputation for being laid back indicates, are among the least stressed workers in the world. A survey of 23,000 office workers globally, commissioned by specialised global recruiter Robert Half, shows Australia ranks, with a score of 52.4 on a scale of 100, only second to the Netherlands with a 55.9.

The world can be a pretty terrible place. Even when things are going good, there's always a grim news headline waiting to completely spoil your day. If you're finding that life has lost some of its colour, you probably need to reboot and focus on the things that make you happy. This infographic suggests 37 ways to to tweak your everyday life for a happier existence.

There's nothing quite like waking up after an incredibly lucid dream. Whether you were flying through the heavens, starring in your own action movie or making out with your secret crush, the lingering memory can put a spring in your step for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, most dreams are meandering, colourless and entirely forgettable -- which is why you need these hallucinatory dream hacks.

We've all been there — your day is going poorly and it feels like it will never end. Worst of all, it feels like you can't do anything to make it better. But that's not entirely true. This strategy won't solve all of your problems, but it's a creative way to turn a rough day into a fulfilling one.

I'm very good at wanting to buy things. I want to buy a new sound system, for example. This would mean ripping five speakers out of my walls, patching up the holes, and buying a $900 soundbar. My wife points out that the current system works well, and asked me why I want to replace it. And I had to admit why: I have to control the sound system with a second remote, which I hate. My wife pointed out that solving this is not worth $900 and a weekend project. So instead I'm buying a $60 universal remote. This is a better way to reach my real goal, which is feeling in control of my gadgets.

It is difficult to refer to what dogs, as a collective, like and dislike and how they behave. Just as humans do, dogs all have their own personalities and learned preferences and so can differ dramatically in how they approach life and what they take from it.

While you clean up your space, your finances and your digital life, don't forget that your brain can end up cluttered as well. Here's how to sort things out so you end up happier and (mentally) healthier.

At the end of a long day you're tired, you're lethargic, you just want to fall into the warm embrace of a couch and flick on the sports channel. Or National Geographic. Or that one with all the Real Housewives programs on it. You want to feel happy.

The key to feeling good at home isn't just about how much TV you can binge watch from the couch - it's about how you design every room of your house.

Most full-time employees spend around half their waking hours at work. It is therefore perilously easy to slip into depression if you aren't enjoying your job. Here's some advice to help you get into the right headspace and rise above the negativity.

How much money do you need to be happy? Some people believe the best things in life are free; others are happiest when they're striking multi-million deals in the back of their chauffeured town car.

Friends make you happy and healthy, and they will be there for you when the rain starts to pour. But how many of them do you need? Turns out the show Friends had the science all figured out.

Zeno of Citium was a Hellenistic thinker from Citium, Cyprus and founder of the Stoic school of philosophy. He believed it's the little things in life that matter most which is pretty hard to argue with.

By following Zeno's ancient example, it's possible to attain a general state of contentedness that will stick with you through thick and thin. Here are the steps.

Happiness is so interesting, because we all have different ideas about what it is and how to get it. I would love to be happier -- as I'm sure most people would -- so I thought it would be interesting to find some ways to become a happier person that are actually backed up by science. Here are 10 of the best ones I found.

In this episode, we're talking to Sanjiv Chopra and Gina Vild, the authors of The Two Most Important Days: How to Find Your Purpose - and Live a Happier, Healthier Life.