I get it, you’re tired of feeling tired, tired of being overworked, a little exhausted, maybe you even feel sad more than you would like. We have all been there before and the good news is it doesn’t last forever. However, if it’s lasting a little longer than you would like it to, there are a few things you can do to boost your mood in the moment and hopefully for an extended amount of time!

Repeat affirmations each morning

If this phrase sounds foreign to you, let me explain. Affirmations are statements that you repeat to yourself every single day that embody the life you want to have and feelings you desire. There are so many different kinds of affirmations, but here are a few ones known for their positive effect on mood:

• “I am a healthy, happy person”
• “I am so grateful to get to experience this new day”
• “I love my life and cannot wait for what today has in store for me”
• “I look forward to experiencing today”
• “Today is an amazingly abundant day”

Repeat these every morning to yourself, preferably while looking into a mirror if you have the option and you’re guaranteed to feel a boost in your happiness level almost instantly!

Smile more

Yes, this sounds made up and a little condescending, but that’s not how it’s meant! Smiling more has been scientifically proven to boost mood! The key here is to believe your smile. What you don’t want is to smile if you are genuinely sad about something, because that only suppresses emotion and that doesn’t benefit anybody.

If you are simply feeling a little stuck, down, stressed, or conflicted, smiling would increase your mood and take some of that weight off of your shoulder. Whether or not you have that perfect Invisalign smile, smile anyway! You don’t have to fake the smile either, put on something funny or entertaining, be genuine about it!

Write in a gratitude journal

Taking some time to focus on gratitude is a phenomenal method for feeling happier. Many of us tend to forget about gratitude, it’s unfortunately a concept that gets overlooked much more frequently than it should. Gratitude does so much more than keep us humble though! It helps us feel happier simply by acknowledging its existence. All you need to do is write down or verbalize as many things that you are grateful for as you can think of.

This list does not have to go on for miles. It should be effortless. The item you name can be simple or complex, it does not matter as long as you are acknowledged gratitude for them. It will put your mind in a relaxed state and remind that you have so much to be happy about!

Feeling happy is a battle that so many of us face every single day, but it doesn’t have to be one that drains us or wears us down. There are numerous ways that we can increase our happiness every day that don’t cost us a dime or take up an extended amount of time! Just remind yourself how grateful you are to be here, smile a little more, and tell yourself you feel happy!