Having a happy day is well within your reach even if you are feeling totally down in the dumps. Being happy is a choice and there are things you can do to make it happen. Just like when you feel a decrease in energy, the best thing to do is to get your body moving - the same thing is true with cultivating happiness. You must literally pick yourself up and get moving on some actions that will create happiness.

1. Fight the Urge to Mope. Get committed. This is the first step. Do you want to be happy or do you want to wallow in bad feelings? When you're ready to be happy, just make the choice and go with it.

2. Smile. Smile at everyone you meet today. It's OK to fake it at first if you need to, but pretty soon it will be real and it will make you feel good. As you feel yourself becoming happy, remember not to fight it!

3. Laugh. Tell some jokes. Seek out jokes, funny people, and funny videos. Be silly. Crack yourself up. Just start laughing. That alone can make you laugh. And when you laugh you release your body's own natural opiates: endorphins which make you feel good. Here is a link to more info on Laughing Yoga where all you do is laugh! And here's a video on it to check out:



4. Yield to Others. Let others go first in line, on the road, and at any other opportunity you encounter during the day.

5. Count Your Blessings. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Heard it before, right? Well have you done it? It works. List 50 things for which you're grateful and without which your life would be worse. Go ahead. Try it!

6. Make Someone Else Happy. Who could you cheer up today? Who could you thank or compliment? Who could you send a quick handwritten note to? You can really have fun with this, so go ahead and do it!

7. Take an Action Step on a Goal. If there is a goal you've been dreaming about for a while, take the first or next step today. This will give you a feeling of control over your life and that will make you feel good. Just one step is all it takes and then plan the step you'll take tomorrow!

8. Exercise. Moving your body creates endorphins which make you feel good. Exercise will also make you breathe more deeply activating your lymph system which is the body's waste removal engine. Removing toxins through exercise will make you feel great!

9. Music. Get a good dose of your favorite music. Sing along! Dance! Play some air guitar. Heck, get in your car and sing at the top of your lungs! Silly, you say? That's the whole idea! Have some fun. Enjoy!

10. Treat Yourself. Pick a little something and treat yourself to it. Maybe some chocolate cake, a movie, or something else that will make you smile.

What's the craziest thing you ever did to cheer up yourself or someone else? Please share!

Written for Dumb Little Man by K. Stone, author of Life Learning Today, a blog about daily life improvements. Popular articles are So You Want to Be a Writer and 7 Easy Ways to Improve Your Financial Life.