happiness is a habit

9 science-backed practices proven to help you feel more joy and less stress

- BY MEGHAN RABBITT

Is it us here at Prevention, or does a lot of the happiness advice you hear tend to put you in a bad mood? You've heard the tips before: Smile more! Make a vision board! Spend money on experiences, not things!

It’s not that these ideas never help (and we've suggested some ourselves), but here’s a universal truth that shows the limitations of even worthwhile advice: Life comes with ups and downs, and forcing yourself to exude happiness and positivity when that’s the last thing you feel can backfire.

A better game plan is to focus on building quiet little habits proven to tee you up for more contentment no matter what obstacle you face, whether it’s dealing with chronic pain, having no place to walk in your neighborhood, or coping with a crazy schedule that leaves you with little time for yourself. To the extent that these happiness-supporting behav-ioral tweaks become habits, they won't feel inauthentic or exhausting.

The solution starts with acknowledging and accepting the fact that happiness is not always available on demand and you're not required to feel happy 24/7. “The more we give ourselves permission for things to suck, the more we can see that our lives are going to be filled with tough moments, so we might as well use them as opportunities to find one thing to help us feel even a little better,” says Dan Harris, host of the podcast 10% Happier and author of 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works—A True Story. “I think it’s great to aim for messy, marginal improvements over time.”