Just as you don’t always feel angry or sad, you won’t always feel happy. Happiness is an emotion, like anger or sadness, although it is a very positive one. How you’re feeling can change from moment to moment and day to day. It’s possible to experience lots of emotions over a short period of time.  

No matter how hard we try, we can’t be happy all the time. Life, with all its ups and downs, will get in the way of our best intentions.  

The surest (and quickest) route to unhappiness is to try to be happy all the time. However, understanding what does make you happy can really help you when times are tough.  

When you’re struggling to find the joy in life, remember that we at Childline are always here for you and ready to listen, no matter what is on your mind.  

Our ability to feel happy is influenced by lots of factors, many of which we can’t control. These include what’s happening around us, our relationships with others, our own expectations and how we feel about ourselves.  

In general, we feel happy when things are going well and we feel confident, relaxed and cared for. Another way to feel good involves helping other people and being kind to them.  Supporting others can be rewarding and give you a sense of purpose which in turn makes you feel happier.  

It is possible to teach yourself how to feel happier by actively looking for positive things in your life and being grateful for what you already have.  

The secret to being happy isn’t about always getting what you want, instead it’s about realising what’s already good in your life and being thankful for it, which changes the focus of your attention.  

How you feel isn’t dependent on other people. You can be kind to yourself by allowing yourself to make mistakes, not comparing yourself to other people and not putting too much pressure on yourself. That way, you can have a positive influence on how you feel. Give yourself a pat on the back for doing your best.  

It can be hard to see the positives when you’re feeling down but try to take a little time every day to do something that makes you happy and that will help.  

Accepting how you feel about a situation, asking for help or talking about how something is affecting you are all ways to help you feel calmer and possibly happier in the long run.  

Happiness is a lovely feeling, and it means different things to different people. A good way to start to think about it is to imagine what would make you sad if you didn’t have it. Chances are these are some of things that make you happy. They are usually the things that you treasure the most.  

Lots of things can make us happy. For example, it might be spending time with friends and family, experiences such as holidays, music and hobbies and material things such as clothes and sports equipment.  

Happiness is not about having everything that you want but enjoying what you do have.  

Ask yourself what really matters to you. Try not to worry about the things that don’t matter so much. Focussing on the things that do matter to you and not worrying about the things out of your control can lead to a greater sense of happiness.