These 5 daily actions can make you happier

Every day we get the chance to start afresh with a new set of experiences. It's an automatic reset of opportunity to live richer and fuller lives than we did in the previous 24 hours. And it's a chance to become happier, too.

Truth be told, though, sometimes we find it difficult to enjoy some days; those days where we feel like everything is going wrong, and all our plans to improve our lives are standing a great distance away, having a good laugh at us. On days like these we can become discouraged to the point of wanting to give up. But we don't have to throw in the towel, just yet. There are some tried and proven activities, principles and tactics we can utilize to help us achieve and maintain a happy outlook. I'd like to share five of them with you. When you do these five things every day, you'll begin to experience more joy in your life.

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Smile

Don't you think a smile is a beautiful thing to see? It can instantly boost your mood when you see one plastered on someone's face, right? Well, it turns out that your own smiles can give you a sense of happiness, too.

When you smile your brain is triggered to release the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine and endorphins, which work together to make you experience positive emotions. Studies have also found that a smile does not need to be natural or spontaneous to contribute to happy feelings. So someone having a bad day can curve their lips into a forced smile and the brain will still recognize it as bona fide, and trigger the feel-good neurotransmitters.

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Be Mindful

When you're being mindful, you're quietly tuning into your body's feelings, thoughts and sensations. Mindfulness is used as a form of therapy that helps with discovery of your 'self', which awakens self-awareness and acceptance, both of which contribute to positive attitudes and well being.

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Practice Gratitude

Among its other benefits, gratitude helps improve psychological well being. The National Institutes of Health conducted a study in 2009 (Zahn et al 2009) which revealed a range of benefits to those who made it a habit to practice gratitude. One finding of this study is that feelings of gratitude directly activate the areas of the brain that are associated with the feel-good, 'happiness' neurotransmitter, dopamine.

This study also revealed that frequent gratitude can promote an ongoing cycle of happiness, because dopamine, which is called the 'reward' neurotransmitter, triggers the brain to reinforce the positive action which caused its release in the first place - in this case, gratitude - which then releases more dopamine.

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Connect

The new social norms of the modern lifestyle are pushing millions of people to the brink of isolation and loneliness. The breakdown of the family, work and career concerns, and conditions such as anxiety and depression are diminishing the chances for people to enjoy social interaction at an organic and mutually beneficial level. This study conducted in 2004 discovered that at that time, 25 percent of Americans did not have anyone to confide in. Today, close to 15 years after that study, and with loneliness being more rampant, we can make the assumption that this percentage has greatly increased over the years.

But, there is hope. As this study shows connections (even with strangers) can produce positive emotions. It is now known that there's a strong link between positive relationships and a positive self-esteem - an important component of happiness.

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Help Someone

Giving has a positive effect on the body and mind. A number of studies show that the act of giving to charity or helping someone triggers the mesolimbic system of the brain which is responsible for feelings of reward. In 2007 Arthur Brooks of Syracuse University conducted a study that revealed people who give are 42 percent more likely to say they are "very happy" than people who do not give.

Further confirming the benefits of goodwill, social researchers, Stephen Post and Jill Neimark in their book, Why Good Things Happen to Good People, share that helping produces feelings of pleasure and happiness and leaves less room for negative emotions.

Happiness is just an action (or 5) away

These five actions can be easily added to your daily activities and can bring you a world of benefits. I hope you use these principles every day to help you achieve the happy and satisfying life you deserve.