29 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Happier This Year

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I don't know anyone who doesn't want to be happier. Do you? This desire seems to be nearly universal. However, the path to happiness often feels convoluted and difficult, where two steps forward seem to become three steps back. (See also: Happiness Habits That Help You Feel Better Now)

Fortunately, science can inform our pursuit of happiness. Happiness is a popular field of study among researchers, and there are ways to become happier that can suit every budget, lifestyle, and personality. Skeptical? Here are 29 scientifically supported ways to become happier this year.

1. Work With Your Hands

Garden. Build something. Cook dinner. Any sort of manual labor can improve your level of happiness.

2. Practice "Taking in the Good"

Avoid focusing on the negative and actually receive the good that exists in your life. Taking a moment to reflect on positive experiences as they occur builds neural networks that later help us be more resilient, or confident, or happy.

3. Help Others

Lend a hand to someone close to you, even when you're busy. Seeing a need, even a small one, and meeting it, will make you happier. (See also: Ways Nice People Can Get Ahead)

4. Stop Caring About What Others Think

You can't make them happy, and trying to will drain your own happiness.

5. Let Go of Perfection

Let go of perfection, in all areas of your life. You are worthy now. You don't have to wait until you've reached the perfect weight, or the perfect career, or the perfect frugal lifestyle to know that.

6. Become Calm

Grow in mindfulness, and the inner calm that goes with it. This takes discipline, but pays off when the practice becomes second nature. (See also: Easy Ways to Get Calm Now and Forever)

7. Hold the Small Things

Embrace life's small pleasures, rather than holding out for big ones. Even the smallest pleasures can raise your happiness significantly.

8. Write It Down

Keep a daily list of the things you're thankful for. You can even share your list with others. Writing things down makes them real to our brains, so this practice solidifies your happiness. (See also: 20+ Ways to Say Thanks)

9. Guzzle H2O

Drink plenty of water. Hydration improves mood.

10. Disconnect

Get off Facebook, and interact with people in real life. People who spend more time on Facebook are not as happy as those who interact off of it.

11. Fake It 'til You Make It

Put a smile on that face. The effects are modest, but a simple smile actually can improve your mood.

12. Embrace the Great Outdoors

Spend more time outside. Fresh air, sunshine, and the great outdoors will do you a world of good. (See also: 50+ Free and Fun Outdoor Activities)

13. Stop Whining!

Cease with the whining, already! Whining is negative, and negativity leads to unhappiness. Whining doesn't only make you unhappy, but brings down those around you, too.

14. Hold Your Tongue

Don't express your anger. Venting anger makes you feel worse, not better. (See also: 6 Ways to Manage Strong Emotions)

15. Use Your Time Well

Make time for the things that make you happy. If it makes you happy, it is worth finding the time to do.

16. Get Your Sweat On

Exercise, exercise, exercise! When you exercise, your brain releases chemicals that literally mean you cannot be depressed as long as they are around.

17. Leave Blame Behind

Stop blaming other people for the things that go wrong in your life. Take responsibility and change the things that you can change yourself.

18. Zzzzzzzzzz

Get the sleep you need. Well-rested people are happier. (See also: 10 Foods That Help You Sleep)

19. Talk It Up

Tell people when they do something that you appreciate. Verbalizing your gratefulness not only improves your happiness, but theirs as well.

20. Engage in Aid

Spend two hours a week serving at a homeless shelter or otherwise helping those less fortunate than you. One hundred hours a year seems to be the magic number, at which time helping others in these ways improves your happiness.

21. Reach Out

Find a community of other people, and invest yourself in it. Actively caring for people will make you happier.

22. Don't Fear Failure

Learn new things, even if you do them badly. Anything worth doing is worth doing badly. (See also: How to Embrace Failure and Win)

23. See Yourself Different

Visualize who you want to be. Visualization leads to success, so if you visualize yourself happy, you are more likely to become so.

24. Pay Attention

Stop, look, and listen to the everyday moments of your life. In today's hustle-bustle culture, we miss happiness if we don't focus on the present.

25. Find a New Mantra

Repeating a mantra is a way of meditation, and this positive meditation will make you happier and more resilient. Basically, if you repeat positive thoughts over and over, you will be happier. (See also: 10 Life-Changing Mantras)

26. Don't Eat Alone

Eat your meals with other people. Eating alone brings you down.

27. Get Creative

Express your creativity. Art, music, dance, woodworking, singing, etc., are all great options for a creative outlet. (See also: 20+ Ways to Boost Creativity)

28. Make Your Choice

Choose happiness. It's easy to believe that our happiness level is a sort of built in set point, but choosing happiness actually makes us feel happier.

29. Dream About Getting Away

Plan a vacation, even if you can't take it. Sometimes visualizing yourself having fun, without going through the stress involved in actually making it happen, can make you happier.

How do you make yourself happier? Be sure to let us know!