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.

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.

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.

The first important decision a married couple makes is ... how to get married. Black tie at the Ritz? Clambake at the shore? Backyard potluck? Research shows you might be better off with a cheap - but well-attended - wedding. Scott Stanley and Galena K. Rhoades, professors and researchers for the Institute of Family Studies, report that while the cost of weddings has been rising, the number of guests has been falling.

Video: Gretchen Rubin, bestselling author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before, sums up years of research in this one-minute video. There are three areas where you can best improve your own happiness: Relationships, self-knowledge and energy. Here, Gretchen explains why.

Another year and we're another year older. But the inevitable march of time has a bright side -- we're all getting older, and older people have higher emotional well-being than teenagers and young adults. Our happiest days don't have to be behind us.

Getting married is one of the biggest life decisions you'll ever make - especially if you're determined to stick it out through thick and thin. According to relationship psychologist and author Eli Finkel, it's important to assess long-term compatibility before tying the knot. These are the questions you should be asking.

Everybody's life is filled with ups and downs, but new research suggests everyone's life follows a particular pattern when it comes to our general contentedness. Around mid-life, we all seem to be pretty bummed.

"Lately I've been feeling a bit hopeless about finding love," writes Ask MetaFilter user seraph9, in a post called "Alternatives to Love". "What are your most rewarding, fulfilling, amazing non-romantic experiences or undertakings?" Respondents listed enriching activities that illustrate how much more there is to life than work and romance.

Getting a good night of sleep can seem like the most effortless and natural thing in the world, but when we can’t fall asleep it can quickly feel elusive and frustrating. There are a few techniques we can use to help us fall asleep, and some things we should always practise before we go to bed to give ourselves the best chance of being able to drop off easily.

There are plenty of self-help books that promise to teach inner fulfilment and happiness. In reality, all you really need to do is follow a single step - and repeat if necessary. This flowchart contains the instructions.