Helping others, whether you do it directly like these people feeding the homeless, or anonymously, actually makes the helpers happier. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Writing down what you're grateful for in a journal, as these students are doing, can lead to better health and more optimism. Colin McConnell/Toronto Star/Getty Images
People who are involved in religious institutions and spiritual practices tend to be happier. John Moore/Getty Images
Buy tickets to sports events, concerts or the theater to share with your family and friends. Matthew Simmons/Getty Images
A guitar that will get you playing again or a bat to join your local softball team is the kind of purchase that can make you happy. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
People who spend too much time on Facebook and other social media tend to be less happy. Why not actually talk to the people around you? Stu Forster/Getty Images
People who check their email at a few set times during the day are less stressed out than people who check their email all the time. DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV/AFP/Getty Images
While it's true we all need money to pay the bills, time is something we can't manufacture. When people realize how precious time is, they value it more and are more focused about how they use time—which makes them happier. Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post/Getty Images
Choosing fun activities where you participate with your whole self and forget everything else can make you happy. Carl D. Walsh/Portland Press Herald/Getty Images
Failing in work, love and life can bring happiness, if we choose to learn from our mistakes. Justin Locke/National Geographic/Getty Images