Go after what makes you happy

Over the next month, keep track of how many times you tell yourself: I wish I had a camera! If in the course of your life you almost never find yourself wanting a camera, forget about it and move on, happily.

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Space Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Do you find that nothing makes you happy anymore? Maybe you've stopped doing things you used to enjoy, can't get out of bed in the morning, or feel hopeless or lost about your future. Whether these feelings are transient or a sign of a deeper underlying problem, it's important not to let them fester.

What might start out as situational depression could turn into something long-lasting. If you are finding that nothing makes you happy and wondering what to do about it, below are some ideas to help you pull yourself out of the state you are finding yourself in.

It might sound too simplistic, but for some people with only transient feelings of a lack of enjoyment, changing your mindset might be all that is required. If you feel that you are putting off feeling happy for some time in the future, it's important to stop using this as an excuse to avoid living your life now.

While bad things may have happened to you in the past, or you may not have everything that you want in your life right now, everyone has a story of some sort that weighs heavy on their heart. How you think about your story and how you go out into the world and live with it is what will set you apart.

Next, if you find that you are ready to change your mindset about how you are feeling, what are the concrete steps you can take to actually get there? One of the things that people who are feeling down tend to do is to ruminate about how they are feeling. Is that you? Do you think a lot about how you don't enjoy things anymore? Rumination is a habit that can worsen low mood or feelings of lack of enjoyment.

Try to be aware of your thoughts and watch for times that you spiral into negative thinking. Ask yourself, why am I upset? What do I need to acknowledge, evaluate, or change? While complaining about your situation or ruminating might feel like you are doing something, in reality, you are only making yourself feel worse.

Learn how cookies are used on our site. Accept Terms. Be yourself. Just be you! Turn off your electronics. You should feel happier when connecting with someone rather than something. Be nice to yourself. Have meaningful relationships. Family, friends and coworkers should bring out the best in you. So when you smile, make sure to smile like you mean it! The reason this is so bad for your happiness is because the negative emotions associated with grudges eventually give way to resentment and thoughts of revenge.

In turn, this leaves little room in your emotional repertoire for anything else, like happiness, according to the Mayo Clinic. The researchers of the latest study found that couples who had more sex because they were asked to for the study reported that the sex was not enjoyable and did not make them happier. Therefore, sex will only lead to happiness when the couple is having it for a meaningful reason, the researchers conclude. People who have the positive attitude of optimists paired with the rational outlook of realists tend to be more successful and happy, according to psychologist Sophia Chou.

That's because so-called "realistic optimists" have the perfect blend of personality types to succeed. Unlike idealists, they are willing to face challenging situations with a clear view of reality, but will use creativity and a positive outlook to try to work their way out of the problem.

Breathing in the smell of dirt may lift your spirits, according to a study which found that a bacteria commonly found in soil produces effects similar to antidepressant drugs.

The harmless bacteria, Mycobacterium vaccae, stimulated the release of serotonin in the brain after it was injected into mice. Low levels of serotonin is what causes depression in people. In a human test, cancer patients reported increases in their quality of life when they were treated with the bacteria. Eating lunch at your desk can be a real downer, report scientists from the University of Sussex who measured the happiness of employees after they ate lunch in different locations.

The results showed that workers were happiest about their work when they ate lunch on the beach and least happy about work when they ate at their desk. Getting outside in the sun was key to staving off misery — people who ate in parks had a more positive attitude about their jobs than those who chowed down at a restaurant or at home.

Exercise is proven to increase feel-good chemicals in the brain, reduce stress hormones, and relieve depression and anxiety according to Happify , a website and app that offers psychology-based games to increase your happiness.

And you can achieve these positive changes in just a few short minutes. Researchers at the University of Vermont found that even just 20 minutes of exercise can give you those mood-boosting benefits for up to 12 hours afterward! Moreover, people who are active are happier and more satisfied with their lives.

The duration and location of your workout also affects how happy you feel afterward. So, check out how to achieve your maximum happiness sweet spot.

Working hard to improve a skill or ability, such as learning how to drive or solving a math problem, may increase stress in the short-term, but makes people feel happy and more content with their lives in the long run, a study reported.

And what's striking is that you don't have to reach your goal to see the benefits to your happiness and well-being," co-author Ryan Howell said in a statement. When it comes to happiness, older people seem to know something that the rest of us don't because a number of studies have found that older people tend to be some of the happiest people around.

Why this is, however, is still a mystery to scientists because they have yet to find what exactly is causing this happiness. Chances are, it's a number of things: One study in suggested the reason is because older people are more experienced, and therefore, better at dealing with negative emotions like anger and anxiety. But another, more recent study, reported that the cause is that older people are more trusting , which comes with a number of healthy psychological benefits that lead to happiness.

Whatever the reason, if you're not happy right now, you can rest assured that your chances of happiness in the future are good. For you. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App.