You may have heard that happiness is a choice. No matter what curve balls life throws your way, you can choose happiness or choose to be stressed, anxious, or sad.

But if only that simple choice could make it so!

Depending on that curveball's speed and placement, it may not be so simple to force a happy face and pretend everything is coming up roses. With that said, there are effective ways based on solid research and concrete techniques that can help you effectively deal with life's stresses and attain long-term happiness.

1. Find Your Happy Place

There's a simple way to improve your life in an instant: find your happy place. Everyone has a happy place where you're super engaged and feeling blissful. If you've got a beach bungalow with a killer sunset view or a cool scenic bike path that sets your mood right – that's awesome. But your happy place doesn't have to be an actual place; it doesn't even need to be real. Your happy place can exist only in your mind – and imaging it can boost your mood in a moment.

2. Cut Down Your Choices

You might think the opposite, but the truth is that too many choices can feel suffocating, which makes you feel anxious and unhappy. And a brain that's overworked and exhausted has a hard time coping with options. By limiting your choices, you limit your stress level. So, when you're faced with a dizzying array of choices, just cut them down! Start arbitrarily, if you're buying a suit, choose the brand and color and stick with it. Decide on the type of cuisine you eat on any given night and don't waiver. If it's pizza – find a joint that makes your favorite pie – and stick with that.

3. Let It Go

Let go of resentment, grudges, jealousy, and envy because these harmful emotions hurt you more than the people who may have wronged you. Think about it this way, can you be happy at this very moment if you're feeling resentment and anger towards someone? And no matter how justified your feelings may be, no matter what this person did, if you hold onto negativity, you will never be free to be happy.

Now, forgiving does not mean you condone what someone has done. Forgiveness gives you peace of mind - it has nothing to do with the other person. It also doesn't mean allowing abuse to continue in your life. Sometimes forgiveness also means letting go of someone or something you've been holding onto.

4. Stop Procrastinating

Procrastination is the act of postponing a task. The decision to delay tasks has a giant impact on your happiness because it leads to feelings of regret and guilt. Habitual procrastination often leads to dissatisfaction in relationships and your workplace, a drop in self-esteem, and loss of your good reputation. The remedy is straightforward - don't wait, just do it. Begin by setting a few goals that you can quickly achieve and then keep going.

5. Practice Gratitude

The gratitude attitude is a way to live that leads to more positive emotions, healthy relationships, and a greater ability to deal with adversity. Like mindfulness, it's about focusing on the present and appreciating what you have now instead of desiring what you don't have. Feeling and expressing gratitude refocuses your mental energy to the positive, counterbalancing the tendency to focus on stressors and negativity. Gratitude naturally creates positive emotions like love, contentment, and joy, which can undo negative emotions.

6. Stop Social Media Overload

Facebook envy and Twitter rage are real things. News-heavy social media sites with their steady streams of disturbing current events and opinions from controversial people cause negative feelings like anger and despair. Lifestyle sites like Instagram with perfectly framed faces and lighting, make you compare yourself negatively to them. According to Holly Shakya, assistant professor and social media researcher at the University of California San Diego, the more you use social media like Facebook, the more likely you'll experience adverse mental health issues.

Studies show that quitting social media sites improves your mood. One study done in Denmark had 1,000 people take a break from Facebook for one week while another 1,000 continued using the social media site. The people that took the break experienced huge jumps in positive emotions and life satisfaction. The study also found that the more a person used Facebook before quitting, the more happiness they experienced after giving it up.

7. An Active Sex Life

It's as simple as this; sex makes you happy. Guys who have sex regularly, meaning at least once a week, report being much more satisfied than those who do not. On the flip side, having sex less than once a week indicated less satisfaction with life overall.

An active sex life leads to better self-esteem and an overall elevated mood throughout your entire life - no matter what your age. Regular sex supports honest and intimate communication with your partner, and it helps you better understand and express your emotions.

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Sources:
health.harvard.edu/promotions/harvard-health-publications/positive-psychology-ecourse-apr2020-test
psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-mindful-self-express/201511/how-gratitude-leads-happier-life
time.com/4882372/social-media-facebook-instagram-unhappy
bestlifeonline.com/find-your-happy-place