How to make life much better – my 10 small but satisfying secrets of happiness | Arwa Mahdawi

From a squirt of Rwandan chilli oil to rolling down a hill and fresh linen, it's the little things that can make a big difference

Up to 60% of the human adult body is water. My body on the other hand is probably 40% water and 20% Akabanga. A friend recently gave me a bottle of Rwandan chilli oil (the catchy name means little secret" in Kinyarwanda) and I have been obsessed with it ever since. It is the holy grail of hot sauces - fiery but not overpowering - and I put it on everything. It pains me that I didn't know about it for so long. Still, now I know the secret to a spicier life and you do too. I'll let you in on another secret: there are plenty of small things that make every day life a lot better. Here are nine more.

1 Putting your ice-cream in a fancy goblet or wine glass. It makes it taste 10,000 times better than eating it out of a boring old bowl, trust me. The ice-cream-eating experience is instantly elevated; transformed from a snack into an occasion.