And don’t just think about them, write them down. Instead, think about the things you already have that make life precious.

When we feel down, it’s easy to focus on what we don’t have and think we’ll be happy when we get it. Stay smiling: happiness is a state of mind 2. So, simply putting on a grin can improve your mood at times when you need it the most. Other studies show that smiling calms us down by slowing our heart rate.

Indeed, there are several studies showing that smiling sends positive feedback to the brain, even when you're forcing it! This is because the brain can pick up cues from our body to generate certain moods by releasing a bunch of feel-good hormones. You can trick your brain into thinking that happiness is a state of mind with one single gesture: a smile. But it’s in our power to make conscious choices to ensure happiness is a state of mind in our everyday lives. This is how our brains work, and thank goodness for that, because otherwise we wouldn’t be able to function. True happiness is not a temporary feeling that comes and goes, but rather something that guides our thoughts and our reactions to what happens in our lives.

It's a state of mind download