Life isn’t perfect and things don’t always go how we expect them to. We all encounter hard days, setbacks, and moments where we feel defeat. But one of the best things we can do to help ourselves through a rough patch, and also make life that much more enjoyable, is to do our best to be positive. 

Here are 2 of my favorite ways to be more positive and keep your glass half full:

We’ve heard it since we were kids — we need to have patience. Patience when learning how to tie our shoes, patience when learning how to ride a bike, patience in waiting to get our license, and patience in turning another year older so we can do all the things grown-ups do. 

But life is different than it was even two decades ago, and there are many things we don’t have to wait for. We no longer have to patiently watch ads that interrupt our TV shows or wait weeks by the mailbox for something to arrive.

There’s nothing better than when someone asks how your day was and you get to respond with “Fantastic!” and actually mean it. 

While there’s so much we’re unable to control in our day, today we’re sharing six things you can do to create a happier day. 

Do you ever find yourself being unnecessarily hard on yourself? Or putting yourself down?

While it’s important to try and show up in the world as your best self, negative self-talk doesn’t do you or anyone else any good. So if you’re ready for a more loving, supportive voice to take over the mic in your head, here are four ways to calm your inner critic and allow your inner champion to shine through. 

No matter how upbeat you feel when you start your day, chances are at some point your sunny mood will get challenged. 

There’s the driver who cuts you off, the call from your children’s school to come pick them up because of yet another illness, or perhaps a friend mentions that you look tired even though you had the best night sleep of your entire life. 

The bad news about any given day is no matter how great we feel at the start, we’re bound to encounter inconveniences, setbacks, and rude people at some point.

Life doesn’t always go as planned. We all face uncertain times where we feel like everything is pretty much up in the air.

If living with more questions than answers makes you feel uneasy, you’re not alone. All the wondering and wishing for something definitive can drive you crazy, and leave you stressed, depressed or worried sick.

So how can any of us feel better when facing uncertainty?

We all have goals and dreams for our lives. Chances are you’ve been chipping away at something important to you. Perhaps it’s writing a book, organizing your home, connecting with a forever partner or committing to being healthier. 

Even when we have the best intentions, life happens, and it’s easy to find ourselves feeling like we’ve gone off track or fallen behind. We may even be tempted to throw in the towel and give up on something completely. 

Do you ever feel like you have to “earn” the chance to relax? 

Do you wait until everything else is taken care of before you take a moment to breathe? 

Do you feel a twinge of guilt if you sit down with a book, or head out for a walk when items on your “to-do” list are still unchecked? 

If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, you’re not alone!

While we’d all love every Friday to be joyous (and every day for that matter) life happens, and we all face dark days, hard times and scary moments where wearing a smile on your face doesn’t come naturally. 

The good news? No matter how melancholy your mood, there are real things you can do to feel even a tiny bit better. Here are five of my favorite go-to’s…