You might have heard that happiness is a choice and wondered if that’s actually true. Unfortunately, for some individuals, mental health conditions like depression and bipolar disorder make it difficult for them to feel happy. There can also be several factors outside someone’s control—such as their age, physical health, or geographic location—that could make it harder for them to achieve happiness. With that said, many people can take affirmative steps to cultivate happiness over time.

How to Find Happiness in Your Life

If you’re looking for ways to feel happier in your day-to-day life, happiness research encourages you to incorporate the following behaviors into your day.

• Practice gratitude! Studies have shown that writing down 3 to 5 things that you are grateful for each day can lead to significant increases in happiness levels.
• Engage in acts of kindness. Doing five kind acts each day (holding the door for someone, paying for the order of the person behind you in the drive thru, sending a note to a friend, visiting an elderly neighbor) creates marked increases in happiness.
• Smile more often (studies have shown that the physical act of smiling can release hormones that increase happiness and reduce stress).
• Implement a morning routine that incorporates stretching, meditating, journaling, and eating a healthy breakfast.
• Volunteer. Altruism is one of the most powerful ways to improve your own sense of well being.
• Sleep more (most adults need at least seven hours of sleep each night).
• Connect with friends and family members, either in person or over the phone. Connect with strangers with a smile or a kind word. Join a social organization. Just connect!
• Spend more time in nature. Humans are designed to be outside. Hug a tree, sit by a lake, or enjoy your own front yard.

Start Living a Happier Life

Happiness is not a static or constant feeling. It waxes and wanes. Studies show, however, that you can increase your overall happiness by practicing these and other behaviors consistently. If you would like to learn more about happiness and how to get more of it, feel free to contact me for help and guidance.

If you struggle with a mood, anxiety, or other mental health disorder, therapy can help you move towards happiness yourself. Contact a licensed therapist for help.