Despite the fact that I am not remotely religious, every year for lent I have a lot of trouble finding something to give up. Usually, I try to find something that’ll improve my health, as most people do but recently I’ve been more cognizant of the other ways to go about improving your health. This year instead of giving up certain foods, a couple of my friends decided to add something to lives on a day to day basis that can improve their life and overall happiness. After hearing their ideas, I started to think of some my own and have started to include them in my day to day routine, which has gradually improved my outlook on my days.

1. Say hi to people you normally wouldn't

Surprisingly, this is something that has been harder than I thought it would be. I’m a generally closed-off person to people I don’t know very well so saying hi to people I may have only met has been quite a struggle. I have to say, every time I do it, I feel happier and feel more comfortable around the person.

2. Practice self-affirmation.

This is best to do in the mornings when you look in the mirror before you head out to classes. Just something as simple as recognizing the fact that you look presentable for the day or you like the way your hair looks can change the way you look at yourself for the rest of the day.

3. Smile when you wake up.

This can surprisingly change the way you go about your day because smiling can change your attitude as soon as you wake up.

4. Say you're welcome instead of no problem.

This is one idea I got from my dad. It’s interesting how much I prefer to hear “you’re welcome” when someone does me a favor because I feel like they voluntarily chose to help me instead of them feeling obligated to do it.

5. Make someone laugh.

This is one of my favorites because not only is it nice to make someone laugh, more likely than not you will also cause yourself to laugh.

6. Give a compliment a day.

This helps me acknowledge what other people are doing for others or how they are helping others around them. On top of this, who doesn’t love a compliment every once in a while?

7. Drink more water.