Maybe you’re feeling down because of the financial crisis. Maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed by holiday tasks. Maybe you’re rushing around to try to get things done before you leave for vacation. Or maybe you’re just having a lousy day.

If so, you can make yourself happier – right now. In the next thirty minutes, check off as many of the following items as possible. Each one will lift your mood, as will the mere fact that you’ve tackled and achieved some concrete goals; by doing so, you boost your feelings of self-efficacy, which can boost happiness.

1. Boost your energy.Stand up and pace while you talk on the phone or, even better, take a brisk ten-minute walk outside. Research shows that when people move faster, their metabolism speeds up, and the activity and sunlight are good for your focus, your mood, and the retention of information. Plus, because of “emotional contagion,” if you act energetic, you’ll help the people around you feel energetic, too.

2. Count your blessings. Taketen minutes to think about all the things in your life that are going right, about all the things that other people do to help you, about all the things that you’re thankful for. In the tumult of everyday life, it’s very easy to focus on the negative and to lose sight of what really matters.

3. Reach out to friends.Make a lunch date or send an email to a friend you haven’t seen in a while. Having warm, close bonds with other people is the KEY to happiness, so take the time to stay in touch. Somewhat surprisingly, socializing boosts the moods not only of extroverts, but also of introverts.

4. Perform an action that reflects your values.Do you think organ donation is a good idea? Sign up online to be one yourself; it takes less than a minute. Worried about climate change? Refill your water bottle from the tap instead of buying a couple of bottles throughout the day. The First Splendid Truth holds that to work on happiness, we should think about feeling good, feeling bad, and feeling right, in an atmosphere of growth. Living up to your values will help you “feel right.”

5. Rid yourself of a nagging task.Answer a difficult email, do an errand you’ve been putting off, or call to make that dentist’s appointment. Crossing an irksome chore off your to-do list will give you a big rush of energy and relief.

6. Create a calmer environment.Clear some physical and mental space around yourself by sorting papers, pitching junk, cleaning a closet, answering a few emails, filing, or even just making your piles neater. A large stack of little tasks can feel overwhelming, but often just a few minutes of work can make a sizeable dent. Try to get in the habit of using the “one minute rule” — i.e., never postpone any task that can be completed in less than one minute. And always make your bed in the morning!

7. Lay the groundwork for some future fun.Order a book you’ve been wanting to read (not something you think you should read) or plan an excursion to a museum, hiking trail, sporting event, gardening store, movie theater—whatever sounds like fun. Studies show that having fun on a regular basis is a pillar of happiness, and anticipation is an important part of that pleasure. Try to involve friends or family, as well; people enjoy almost all activities more when they’re with other people than when they’re alone.

8. Do a good deed.Make an email introduction of two people who could help each other, or set up a blind date, or shoot someone a piece of useful information or gratifying praise. Do good, feel good—this really works. Also, although we often believe that we act because of the way we feel, in fact, we often feel because of the way we act. When you act in a friendly way, you’ll strengthen your feelings of friendliness for other people.

9. Act happy.Put a smile on your face right now. Research shows that even a fake smile has a positive influence on your emotions—turns out that just going through the motion of happiness brightens your mood. And if you’re smiling, other people will perceive you as being friendlier and more approachable.

Some people worry that wanting to be happier is a selfish goal. To the contrary. Studies show that happier people are more sociable, likeable, healthy, and productive—and they’re more inclined to help other people. So in working to boost your own happiness, you’re benefiting others as well.

What other strategies have you tried to give yourself a happiness boost?

你也許正因為金融危機而感到沮喪，也許正被假期任務壓得喘不過氣來，也許正忙前忙后，想把該做的做完好去度假，又或者，正經歷著對你來說諸事不順的一天。

果真如此的話，你可以讓自己快樂起來——馬上。在接下來的三十分鐘時間里，盡可能多地清點下列幾項。每一項會讓你的心情好一點，就象真的解決了具體問題、完成了具體目標一樣。這種做法可以提升你的自我效能感，而自我效能感可以給人帶來快樂。

1. 打起精神。打電話時站起來走動走動，能到戶外輕快地散十分鐘步則更好。研究證明，當人快速活動時，新陳代謝會加快。而且，戶外活動和陽光有助于你精力集中，心情變好，記憶力增強。還有，由于有“情緒感染”，如果你表現得精力充沛，那么你周圍的人也會感到精力充沛。

2. 數數你攤上的好事。花十分鐘想想生活中所有順當的事，想想別人對你的所有幫助，想想所有讓你心懷感恩的事情。在日常生活的紛擾中，人很容易想到消極的事情，卻忽略掉真正重要的東西。

3. 聯絡朋友。如果有段日子沒見某個朋友，不妨約個飯局或發封電子郵件。與他人保持溫馨、親密的聯絡是幸福的關鍵，所以，要花時間跟人聯系。奇怪的是，社交不僅能讓外向型人心情愉快，也能讓內向型人快樂起來。

4. 實施一件能體現自己價值觀的事。你支持器官捐獻嗎？那就在網上報名成為一名捐獻者吧，要不了一分鐘。 擔心氣候改變嗎？那就用直接喝自來水來代替一天買好幾瓶瓶裝水吧。人生第一真理是：為了幸福，我們應該把感覺良好、感覺不好、感覺舒服都當成是成長過程中必不可少的組成部份。 按自己的價值觀生活會讓你“感覺舒服”。

5. 解決一件煩心事。回一封棘手的電子郵件；處理一件你一直在拖延的事情；打電話給牙醫進行預約。解決掉很多煩心事中的一件會讓你突然渾身是勁，心情輕松。

6. 創造更平靜的環境。把文件分分類，倒倒垃圾，清理一下壁櫥，回幾封電郵，整理整理檔案，甚至只是讓文件堆放得更整潔一些。做這些事情可以給自己的身心更多的空間。很多繁瑣的事情加在一起會讓人沒了頭緒，喘不過氣。但是，常常只需幾分鐘，就可能解決掉很大一部分。要努力養成利用“一分鐘規則”的習慣——即絕不把任何不到一分鐘就可以解決的事情押后。還有，每天早上要整理床鋪！

7. 為未來的快樂做鋪墊。訂購一本自己想看的書（不是那種你認為自己該看的書）或者制定去博物館、去遠足、去看體育比賽、去園藝店、去電影院的計劃——只要聽著有意思，去哪兒都行。研究顯示：定期娛樂一下是快樂的基礎，而期待是那種快樂感中很重要的一部分。還有，要盡量邀上朋友或家人一起去。任何的活動，只要跟其他人在一起，感覺都會比自己單獨一人時更好。

8. 做好事。用電郵介紹倆個互相能幫上忙的人認識；安排不相識男女首次約會；告訴某人一項有用的信息或夸夸他。做好事會讓人心情好——確實如此。而且，盡管我們常常以為行為是隨著感覺走的，但事實上，我們的感覺常常是受行為影響的。當你表現出友好時，你對別人的友善感就會增強。

9. 表現出快樂。現在就換上笑臉。研究顯示，即使是強裝出來的笑容也會對人的情感有正面影響。事實證明，經歷快樂可以讓人心情變靚。微笑的你會讓別人覺得你更友好，更具親和力。

有人擔心，追求快樂會很自私，其實恰恰相反。研究顯示，快樂的人更隨和，人緣更好，更健康，更富有成就——而且更容易幫助別人。所以，你在使自己快樂的同時，也使別人收益。

你還做過其它讓自己快樂的嘗試嗎？