It's easy to get caught in a rut. The same basic schedule dictates almost every day. You get up and go to work, school or church. You come home and eat. You spend the evening with family or in meetings or social engagements. Then you go to bed so that you can wake up and do it all again the next day.

The listlessness and restlessness that often accompany this experience aren't inevitable, though. The practical details of your schedule are probably not the real problem. If you practice finding meaning in your daily routine, you can experience even seemingly mundane experiences as joys rather than burdens.

Learn To View Happiness as a Choice

For many people, happiness seems like an elusive ghost that they can never quite capture. Others wait for happiness to happen to them. While both of these perspectives still hold out hope that a happy life is possible, a passive approach is not likely to be very effective.

The first thing you must acknowledge to change your mindset is that no one wants your happiness more than you do. Of course, there are people in your life who love you and therefore want you to be happy, but they can't make it happen for you. You must choose it.

That doesn't mean faking it by plastering a smile on your face to hide your negative emotions. Toxic positivity can be just as counterproductive as a perpetually negative attitude. Instead, when problems arise, try to view them as challenges rather than setbacks. You can acknowledge difficulty without letting it control you, and that can not only help you overcome issues more quickly but also have an impact on your emotional well-being.

Evaluate Your Relationships

Sometimes, it's not the details of your life that lead to a case of the doldrums but rather the company you keep. In some circumstances, you don't have a lot of control over which people you encounter. The negative person in the cubicle next to yours at work may not want to stop complaining about every little thing, and there may be nothing you can do to make your mother-in-law pleased to see you during the holidays.

You can, however, seek out affirming relationships or work to improve your existing relationships to counteract the negative impacts of others. Evaluate your connections with the people with whom you spend the most time outside of work to see if they include certain key factors:

• Mutual respect
• Genuine affection
• Clear communication
• Healthy conflict
• Realistic expectations

Follow Your Passions

Not every creative person can make a living as a full-time artist. Starting a whole new career may not be something you consider feasible. It's still important, though, to make room in your life for the things that excite you. Sometimes, the only thing you need to boost your happiness level is to pursue your passions.

If you have a hard time deciding what your passions are, start by journaling your memories. When in your past did you feel the happiest? What were you doing at the time? How were you connecting or helping others? It may not take as much reflection as you think to figure out the things that delight you. Once you do, it is easier to find ways to incorporate them into your current life.

Happiness is not something that just happens to you. While it may seem to come more naturally for some people, it's likely that they have to work at it, too. Make choices to surround yourself with a good support system, and seek out opportunities that help you enjoy life to its fullest. Even when your life is predictable, there can still be room for surprise and delight.