If you are over 50 years of age, I bet I’ve got your attention now!

Unfortunately, I don’t have the answer to that or else I’d be a very rich woman indeed!

I suspect we all know the secret to living longer. The NHS is keen to give us guidance on this; eat well and drink in moderation, move more and stress less, which does seem to be sensible advice to follow. Having said that, I do acknowledge that it’s actually easier said than done for the majority of us (myself included)!

But will following this advice make your life happier? That’s the question.

Advice is widely available but, actually, what makes us happy is unique to every one of us.

I believe it’s up to us to find out what makes ourselves happiest and to simply do more of it. Some of my suggestions would be to:

• Enjoy nature and get outdoors if you can. Watch the seasons change and appreciate them.

• Enjoy contact with families, friends, neighbours and being part of your local community, even if it is just saying hello or good morning to people you meet or speak to.

• Look forward in life, don’t dwell on the past. We all have setbacks, sadness and disappointments which can’t be changed by worrying about them.

• Laugh at yourself, at life and at funny things you find on the internet (or newspaper) and share them with others!

If you don’t make your own happiness a priority, who else is going to do that for you?

So, think of something that has made you happy today, do it and most of all, be grateful for it.

If you are happy now, does it matter if you don’t live to be 100 after all?

Sally Smith is an Independent Social Worker with 20 years experience working with older people and adults.

You can visit Sallys' website at www.imworriedaboutmum.com