I personally think happiness is not found in the end result, but it is found through the process. Happiness is found through all of the little things that happen on the great ride we call "life."
Accepting how you feel in moments and situations is important. Being happy is great and yes, we all want to feel that way, but our minds and bodies have many more emotions than just happiness. If you are feeling sad or down, that is OK.
Do not put pressure on yourself to be happy at that moment because feeling other emotions is completely normal and healthy.
We need to enjoy life as it happens instead of only looking for the end result. The pressure to be happy is always there and it probably will not stop. Instagram shows us idealized pictures of peoples' "perfect" lives and rarely does it show the whole picture. We get the idea that everyone else has achieved this sense of happiness and not ourselves.
In reality, we as humans all go through many emotional roller coasters!
Instead of just focusing strictly on being happy, set goals for yourself that give you purpose in life. It is important to stay positive, but that doesn't mean you cannot be sad before you become positive. Ignoring sad moments will in turn just make those moments sadder.
Trying too hard to be happy will make you obsess over the unhappiness that is in your life and you will feel like you're failing. This does not help you. We spend too much time thinking about ways to be happy or how we would be happy. For example, finding a boyfriend/girlfriend or making money. These things can also cause us to settle for things that will not even make us happy in the long run.
The key is to not focus too much on the negative emotions but to let them guide you and steer you towards positivity.
Do not search and chase happiness. You will find that all it does is run away from you. Start to focus on the happiness that is around you in your life every day. Appreciate those little moments like when you turn on the radio to hear your favorite song or you get to sleep in your fresh sheets.
Do not set too many expectations for things. Life is not always fun — remember that people have bad days. Be happy. Not because everything is perfect, but because you choose to focus on the little, perfect moments.