Being happy. It’s something we all desire in our lives, and it can, at times, seem unobtainable. The world throws new things to be upset about at us every single day, and sometimes we start to feel crushed under the weight of it all. On the flipside of that, however, there are also things to be happy about in every single day. Every situation has a silver lining, and every lifetime has a few moments that define what it really means to be human. The truth is, life is like anything else- it is neither all good, nor all bad, and learning to appreciate the grey area can make all the difference when it comes to having a good mood. Here are a few easy things you can do to make yourself a little bit happier every day:

• Write down all of the good things that happened in a day. Even on bad days, one or two good things must have happened to make it not-so-bad. By writing these things down, it can change your perspective to focus on the good instead of the bad. You can even put all of your lists of good things in a journal, or small pieces of paper in a jar, so you can go back to them later and reflect on all of the fun times you have had.
• Stay organized and on top of things. This is of course, easier said than done, but when your obligations begin to overwhelm you, it is a recipe for depression and stress. Think about what you have to do today. Is there anything you could be doing right now? Even if it’s something small, like taking out the trash, do it now and you will find that your whole day goes more smoothly.
• Live in the present. Stop thinking about what you have to do tomorrow. Stop dreading that test next week. You can’t stop bad things from happening, and you can’t avoid your obligations, so why stress about them? The only thing that you have control over right now is the present. The past doesn’t exist anymore, and the future hasn’t been created yet. What is happening right now is the only thing you have control over, and should be the only thing you consider important.
• Do more of what makes you happy. When’s the last time you did something just because you wanted to? It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and lose track of what’s really important- taking care of yourself. It doesn’t even have to be anything big. Even something as small as buying yourself your favorite coffee drink, or going out to a movie with friends can improve your life. If there is an opportunity for you to do something that you love, take it. Classes and obligations are important, but your happiness is important, too. You can always catch up on homework, but you can’t turn back time if you miss out on things you could have done with your friends.
• Make even the things you don’t want to do fun. Get excited about class by studying in groups with your friends, and write your papers and projects on things that interest you so that it’s more fun to learn about it. When you start to get overwhelmed with school, remind yourself of your goals and use that as a motivator. Look at every class as a stepping stone to get you where you need to be, instead of thinking of it as an obstacle.