How to Be Happy: 15 Ways to Make a Change

If you resolved to be happier this year, the good news is that a huge part of your overall satisfaction with life is entirely within your control, even if very little else is. Dr. Steven Toepfer, an associate professor in the Human Development and Family Studies department of Kent State University, says one big way you can improve your overall happiness and well-being is to sit down to write a philosophy of life. That's a set of guiding principles you can lean on when life gets hard. This is different for every person, and may take you 10 minutes or 10 days to write. Focus on what's important to you — family, community, education, passions that bring you joy — and not on changing your life circumstances, like your job, your relationship or your city. This is a challenging but worthwhile exercise, Dr. Toepfer says. Think of some things that are important to you, and then unpack them. “My interest in education is a lot about helping people find meaning, and that’s what a philosophy of life should get you to: meaning,” he says.