You don't have to change much. Here are some surprising ways to feel much better everyday.

What are some simples things we can do today to boost our mood? Most of us have experienced moments of joy. Yet, there are many people are walking around habitually sad, depressed, anxious, stressed, worried, angry, burned out, shut off, or numb. Is it possible to have more joy in life? The answer is a resounding, "Yes!" No matter where you are on the continuum of joy, it is possible for you to improve your well-being and joy.

Don't Expect Perfection

Manage your expectations. Striving for unrealistic or out of reach goals (like trying to be a star employee, positive parent, and ever understanding spouse all at the same time) can backfire if you blame yourself when you fall short. Striving for constant contentment is also unrealistic. If you think you should feel happy nearly all the time its going to make you miserable. If you expect to feel that way all the time when good things happen it seems normal but when bad things happen it can seem catastrophic.

Find Your Balance

Psychologists generally describe happiness as a sense of well-being or happiness with your life. They say there's fun without meaning and meaning without fun. Happiness comes from a combination of the two. If you consistently choose fun without meaning you'll probably feel empty inside. But if you solely focus on lofty goals you could end up depleted and resentful.

Switch Gears

Exploring a new interest is entertaining and may lead you to discover other activities over time that you enjoy.

Don't Try to Buy Happiness

Sure, money helps especially of you start out poor and then do better. Those who doggedly pursue possessions are always less satisfied with their friendships, families, jobs and even health than people who are less materialistic.

Loose Yourself In the Moment

If you're in a bad mood try to find a state of effortless concentration and enjoyment. Think of what delivers you the most happiness. Concentrate on whatever activity energizes you and makes you feel like time is flying by or make you lose all track of it.

Share the Love

Contented people's happy experiences most often involve connecting with someone else. It doesn't matter if the bond was with a partner, a friend, or a parent. The important thing was that the person has at least two out of the three essential relationships. Its not surprising that married people all report being happier than singles in all the research polls. Experts theorize that people benefit from having a reliable emotional partner in their life. The best was to improve your relationships is to set aside time for the people you love.

Develop an Attitude of Gratitude

One way to feel happier is to recognize good things when they happen. Negative moments happen everyday. Happy people focus of the positive moments. If you have trouble counting your blessings, try keeping a gratitude journal. Several studies show that people who record what they appreciate experience greater happiness, less anxiety and even better sleep.

Help Yourself by Helping Others

Helping others makes us feel capable and full of purpose and it lets us quit stressing about our own problems for awhile. That doesn't mean you have to over book a hectic schedule with endless commitments. Small gestures work very well.

Choose to Choose Less

Too much choice can cause anxiety and lead people to blame themselves if their decisions don't turn out as well as they expected. Learn how to accept good enough options.

Be More Forgiving

A forgiving attitude can help counteract feeling of depression, powerless, and anxiety about future hurts. So how do you let go of anger and resentment toward others? Keep in mind that forgiving is really a gift you give yourself.

Pick Out the Positives

Some people are able to make the best of things that happen and that’s a key to happiness. One way to do this is reframe your thoughts. Once we start to reframe our mind to accept positive thoughts it can quickly become a habit.

Be Kind to Yourself

If you are feeling anxious, stressed, sad, or even depressed, this is a sign that you body is calling out for more support. Some of the best ways to increase your level of joy include sunlight, fresh air, and enjoyable movement. In addition, love yourself and focus on a joyful experience. Acknowledge your efforts and successes. Speak kindly to yourself. Watch movies that inspire or make you laugh. Go for walks outside. Pamper your body. Have more fun. Breathe. Joy is essentially the celebration of your own life.

Joy is Now, Not Later

Your goals and dreams are important because they provide a sense of direction for your life and form a basis for your decisions and choices. However, don't postpone your joy until the end of your goal. Joy is not going to magically appear like a pot of gold waiting at the end of the goal rainbow. This is because you cannot earn joy. Instead, joy comes from inside of you. It rises up because you consciously chose a specific direction or goal that was important to you, and then you decided to spend energy and effort engaged in bringing your goal to life. Joy is the delight your share with yourself now and each day as you think self-supportive thoughts and take self-empowering actions to create success for yourself.