FIND THE BEAUTY IN YOUR STRUGGLE

You’re happy…minus the fact that you still have six figures of loans to pay off. You’re happy…except that you’re having a hard time coping with a loss. You’re happy…apart from being sick for the second week in a row. Whatever dark period or tough situation you’ve encountered recently, the truth is that you can still find happiness at the same time. You don’t have to wait until a rough patch is over to feel happy.

Psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky describes happiness like a pie chart with three slices: 50 percent constitutes your genetic “set point,” or where you naturally fall in terms of happiness on the typical day; 40 percent is related to intentional activities or behaviors; the remaining 10 percent of the pie is life circumstances. Your ability to live a happy life is entirely up to you. You can’t escape adversity or difficulty or sadness, but you can choose what you do with it. Focus on finding the beauty in the situation at hand, instead of rushing ahead to what might happen in the future (or dwelling on what happened in the past).

HAVE A DAY WITHOUT ANY “SHOULD”S

It’s so easy to slip into “should”-ing yourself: “I should’ve worked out today”; “I should’ve eaten healthier at lunch”; “I should’ve asked a question at that meeting.” But all those “should”s don’t change anything; they only keep you from being happy in the here and now. Give yourself a day where “should”s aren’t allowed. As they pop into your head, acknowledge that they are there, and then say, “Not today!”

SPLURGE ON NIGHT CREAM

Using a night cream or oil before bed feels like a lavish part of your self-care routine, whether you spend five bucks or fifty. Pick something with a refreshing scent and fully tune into the experience as you apply it; notice the feel of the cream and your skin as it is absorbed. It feels good to take care of yourself!

DO MORNING PAGES

Author and artist Julia Cameron created an activity called “morning pages,” where you write three pages as soon as you wake up. Don’t overthink it! Just follow your stream of consciousness and get the thoughts down. It’ll help clear your mind before you start the day, encourage you to let go of any anxious or unhappy thoughts, and set the stage for inspiration and positivity.