Get more sleep. The Sainsbury’s Living Well Index found that sleep quality was the top indicator for living well: “Over 60 percent of the group living very well felt rested most or all of the time after sleep.”

Exercise more. A study of 30,000 Norwegians discovered that even just an hour of exercise weekly can help prevent depression. The more exercise, the better. The key is to discover an activity that you enjoy.

Volunteer in nature. The Wildlife Trusts of England tracked the mental health of wildlife project volunteers for 12 weeks. At the start, 39% of volunteers reported poor mental health. By the end, that number was reduced to 19%.

Spend time outdoors. A 2015 study compared the brain activity of people who walked for 90 minutes in either an urban or natural setting. They found that those who went on a nature walk had lower activity in the prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain that is overactive during depression and stress.

Cultivate eudaimonic happiness. A growing body of research supports two types of happiness: eudaimonic and hedonic. Eudaimonic happiness is gained by doing things that provide meaning and give a sense of striving to be one’s best self, such as volunteering, doing art, or spending time with loved ones. Try to devote a bit of time to self-improvement each day.

Write down what (or who) you are grateful for. The Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley found that activities such as keeping a gratitude journal or writing gratitude letters are linked to increased happiness and mood.

Listen to happy music. Study participants found that they felt better when listening to upbeat music while actively trying to feel happier, as long as they simply focused on the positive feelings and not the “destination” of being happy.

Laugh! Laughter is proven to increase dopamine, a chemical that elevates the mood. It also oxygenates our bodies and cools down our stress-response systems, producing an overall calm, happy feeling.

Work on decluttering your home and workspace. Just seeing clutter has been found to cause spikes in cortisol, the stress hormone.

Give a hug. When you stimulate the pressure receptors of your skin, it lowers stress hormones. Touch also boosts oxytocin, a hormone that promotes a sense of well-being, security, and love. Hugs may even help reduce the severity of cold symptoms!

Pet a dog or cat. A Washington State University study found that petting a dog or cat for even just ten minutes produced a major reduction in cortisol, the stress hormone.

Consume omega-3 fatty acids. Many promising scientific studies have found that eating omega-3 fatty acids may alleviate depression and other mood disorders. Sources include fish and flaxseed.

“What went well?” At of the end of the day, reflect on three things that went well that day. Replay the events in your mind and relish the positive feelings.

Take slow, deep breaths. By breathing slower and more deeply, you signal your nervous system to calm down. It takes practice to reap profound benefits, so devote some time to deep breathing daily.

Watch a cat video. A survey of almost 7,000 people found that people felt more energetic and positive after watching cat videos. The pleasure they got from the videos was greater than the guilt of procrastinating. Dog videos work, too!

Do a puzzle. Any kind of puzzle will do. Every success we have while working on a puzzle releases dopamine, which grants us a sense of satisfaction and pleasure.

Enjoy some coffee. Coffee has been shown to help lower the risk of depression, especially in women.

Seek sunshine. A study spanning six years discovered that therapy patients reported less emotional distress on sunny days. Vitamin D has also been linked to mental well-being.

Smiling can trick your brain into feeling happiness! A meta-analysis