Christmas is a perfect time to forget about work – if you're lucky enough to have time off – and we all over-indulge a little (ok, maybe a lot!) so it's really tempting to turn into members of the Royale family and just veg out in front of all those Christmas specials on TV for the whole festive period. This is brilliant to an extent of course, but happiness isn't just about the pleasure seeking. For a really happy Christmas, why not think about trying a few different challenges, to help you experience a different side of happiness. We've outlined some of the theory and practice below to help you.

Christmas is a wonderful time of year, and it can also bring stresses, trials and tribulations, so we thought it might be useful to share with you our 5 Tips for a Practically Positive Christmas to keep you smiling through the festive season.

As the end of 2013 fast approaches we really hope it's been a great year for you. We hope you have experienced many moments of success and are looking forward to your future with optimism and excitement.

Have you ever wondered what it is that those people who always seem to be happy have in common? What characteristics or habits do they share - and how can you get them? Online and in books a thousand gurus offer their own ways for you to find happiness. But how do we know which of them works? The scientific method is probably best. We have seen an upsurge in scientific studies on positive psychology and the science of happiness or, to put it simply, discovering what makes happy people happy.