For me, it is often the little things that mean the most. Small gestures that someone might do, a particularly beautiful day, sleeping under lots of blankets in a cold room, holding hands with a person I like, a good cup of coffee, a good song while driving with the windows down, waking up in the middle of the night and realizing there are still hours before I need to be up, seeing my roommate’s dog get really excited or happy about anything (or any dog), getting into comfortable clothes after a long day, making a good grade on something that I put work into, even putting work into something and being satisfied that I did well, laughing at anything—those are just a few of the little things that I would say contribute in large part to my general happiness and well-being.

And you know, I think that in a way the little things can be more important than the “big” things. Honestly, I don’t know how exactly I would even define the big things. Perhaps significant expected milestones or actions, but I’ve found that the so-called important things in life (like say, graduating or something like that) often can feel anticlimactic precisely because there is some previous opinion that has been formed and then the lived experience doesn’t live up to expectations.

Anyway, I’ve found that making time to let myself enjoy the little things unapologetically has greatly improved my life generally. I guess this is another way too of reiterating the cliché of “live in the moment”—be present and attentive as you go about your day and take the time to fully enjoy the little pleasures.

One other thing—what you focus on really governs your mood and can shape your perceptions of life. In a moment where you are frustrated by traffic or rude people or something of that nature, make an effort to be patient and to control your response and shift instead into focusing on something positive. I promise you will find yourself in a better mood, even if your life situation has not changed.