It happens for a lucky few at work, for many others at rest and yet more at play.

Some need space and privacy, while others need company. It’s elusive and at times we all feel we don’t get enough of it.

We’re talking happiness. And according to a new guidebook, the state of mind is not a default setting for a lucky few people.

Like physical fitness, we have all been urged to hone the skills needed to attain this coveted emotion, a little every day.

Author Sophie Scott has written ‘Roadtesting Happiness: How to be Happier (No Matter What)’, a self-help book with a difference.

In the book, Sophie, a medical reporter in Australia, experiences for herself all the tips, tricks and scientific methods supposed to guarantee happiness. She’s drafted a tried-and-tested list, and now encourages readers to come up with their own.

“Being happy is something you need to focus on, it doesn’t come as a matter of course,” the 42-year-old says.

“You always need to make an effort, even if you reach the point of saying, yes, I am happy, you still need to keep focusing and working on the things that made you happy.”

The book was part born out of Sophie’s interest in the human psyche.

But it was also an exercise to help cope with the loss of her mother two years ago.

“It was very cathartic,” she explains. “I was always interested in psychology, but a lot of happiness books don’t address the fact that you can be happy if your life isn’t going according to plan.

“The key is managing expectations.”

Trying to apply science to the problem was difficult, and Sophie admits interviews with a number of different subjects proves there is no, one-size-fits-all happiness “cure”.

“In the book, I focused on what were the things most likely to make people happy, the ones with the most academic or scientific research, but not everything works for everyone.

You have to find what works for you,” she says. “For example, I don’t use meditation very often, because I don’t get as much as other people out of it, but for me, exercise is a fantastic mood lifter that really clears the cobwebs.”

Modern life for many is hectic, with long hours, rushed meals and pressures of work meaning we don’t actually get the most out of our precious, ever-decreasing down time.

So the suggestion that we need to put the hard yards in, in pursuit of this fleeting feeling, could send many doubters running for the hills.

But fear not.

Sophie says the road to a positive outlook begins with very easy, small steps.

“Women in particular today feel overloaded.

They’ve got to be thin, got to have a career, got to have a perfect relationship and the last thing you need is to be thinking you’ve got to be blissfully happy all the time.

“But it is important to improve your quality of life.

Stop rushing around, filling each moment of the day with things to do, and sit down and think about your life, and how you’re feeling.

“The things I got out of this were not things that take a lot of effort,” she continues.

“Feeling more grateful for the things I’ve got, modifying my reaction to situations and people. It’s about changing minor habits, more tinkering around the edges instead of overhauling your life.