One of the most compelling findings of the psychological science of happiness is that flourishing – in your life, your relationships and your work – requires a very specific ratio of positive to negative feelings and interactions. When that ratio falls below a certain level, it triggers a dysfunctional cycle of depressed performance, impaired functioning and distress from which it becomes increasingly difficult to escape. It is my view that Irish society is perilously close to that tipping point. So efforts to raise the collective mood are not just about feeling better but being better – at planning, decision-making, motivating people, being innovative and creative, and solving our problems. There are robust strategies for achieving the optimum ratio of positive to negative in your life. These are the strategies that work for me most consistently.

Firstly, don't be too fearful of challenge and adversity. When asked what would make us happy, most of us offer the predictable list – some variety of enjoyment, success or improvement in our life circumstances. Yet, when asked to reflect on what has actually meant most to us in our lives, what has made us feel best about ourselves, we produce quite a different list. Almost always, overcoming great personal challenges features on that list.

Successfully confronting adversity has unexpectedly positive outcomes: we discover strengths we never knew we had; unbreakable bonds are forged with those who helped us through; we feel wiser and more in touch with what really matters in life. In short, we discover we have flourished under fire. So, while we would never wish for it, adversity and challenge provide an unparallelled opportunity for the deepest kind of happiness.

Secondly, relish those moments that remind you of the inexhaustible abundance of life. In my own case: the effortless affection of my children; last summer hill-walking in Roundstone with our friends, when we danced around the kitchen every night to the music of The Eagles; the clouds clearing over the soaring Spire as I cycle to work. These are the moments of pure grace that I want to hold for ever.

Thirdly, no matter how negative your mood, you are simultaneously experiencing positive feelings, although the signals may be weak. Surprisingly, the evidence is that positive and negative states are largely independent brain systems. The trick is to pay attention to the positive while you are feeling negative. At the very least, there is always a small immediate pleasure to be found using your five senses. I look at our lovely garden where, thanks to my husband John, something is flowering every month of the year; I listen to the Benedictus from the The Armed Man; I breathe in the smell of an old book; I eat toast and some of my perfect cherry and orange marmalade; I stroke our 16-year-old beloved dog (who is nearly blind and deaf, but still loves her food and a good bark). Or I simply remind myself of those things in my mind's eye, because just thinking about evoking happy memories results in almost as intense a feeling of happiness as the original experience.

Fourthly, do something. If I am stuck with a problem and unable to see my way through, I go for a run, or tidy my desk, or email my friends. Sometimes, especially for women, plumbing the depths of a problem is counter-productive. I have come to respect distraction as a way of stealing around unhappiness.

Fifthly, remind yourself that in every situation in life, you have at least some small element of choice. You may not be able to control what happens, but you can choose how you respond. In my own case, I have (nearly successfully) given up comparing myself to other people, because comparing yourself to those better off makes you feel bad, while comparing yourself to those worse off offers only temporary consolation. In any event, true comparison is never possible.

Finally, it really is worth learning how to stay positive and be happy. The growing psychological science of happiness may help here. Rousing yourself to even temporary cheer not only makes you feel good, but it helps you function better in virtually every domain of life. You will make better decisions, be more creative and flexible. If you can keep it up, you will pursue your goals in work and in love more effectively and achieve better outcomes. You will enjoy significantly better health and live longer – seven-and-a-half years longer actually. So go to work on your happiness – for yourself, for those you love, and even for Ireland.

Dr Maureen Gaffney is a well-known Irish broadcaster, writer and columnist.
A psychologist by profession, she

worked for many years in TCD as director of the doctoral programme in clinical psychology. She is an adviser to

companies on psychological issues relating to leadership development,

gender and emotional intelligence in

the workplace and has worked in Ireland, Britain, Israel and the US