To follow-up Monday’s article, “5 Ways to be incredibly happy,” here are five more!

Here are 5 more ways to be incredibly happy:

Smile.  It can be that simple.

Smiling can make us feel better, but it’s more effective when we back it up with positive thoughts.  Try thinking about exotic vacations and your favourite person in the world.

Plan a trip even if you don’t go.

Simply planning a vacation or break from work can improve our happiness. A study published in the Journal Applied Research in Quality of Life showed that the highest spike in happiness came during the planning stage of a vacation as people enjoy the sense of anticipation

Teach your brain to be happy

Meditation literally clears your mind and calms you down, it’s been often proven to be the single most effective way to live a happier life. According to Achor, minutes right after meditating, we experience feelings of calm and contentment, as well as heightened awareness and empathy.  And, research even shows that regular meditation can permanently rewire the brain to raise levels of happiness.

Stop being stuck in traffic.  Move closer to work.

No surprise here.  The fact that we tend to commute twice a day at least five days a week makes it unsurprising that the effect would build up over time and make us less and less happy.

Be gracious.

There are lots of ways to practice gratitude and in a study published in the Journal of Happiness, researchers found that writing letters of gratitude increased participants’ happiness and life satisfaction while decreasing depressive symptoms.