By Elizabeth Shimer Bowers; Medically reviewed by Farrokh Sohrabi, MD You’ve got your life’s essentials tucked into your tote, but do you h...

I completed my master's degree in applied positive psychology, which is the scientific study of psychological well-being, happiness and human flourishing. While things like practicing gratitude and performing random acts of kindness were more obvious paths to happiness, there were some very surprising things I learned that transformed the way I thought and lived my life.

I started practicing gratitude and, though it makes the cynic cringe to say it, doing so has genuinely had a positive effect on my attitude. I'm not saying it's a cure all, but taking a moment to smile about the good instead of brooding over the bad can't really hurt in the grand scheme of things, can it? To that end, here's what's been doing the trick for me this month.

I meet a lot of people who are either unhappy with their career choice or just plain unhappy with life. There's a feeling of confusion, of being lost, of having lost oneself somewhere along the way. Do you know that person? Maybe you are that person. The good news is it's a simple fix to turn that around. Here's what to do in five easy steps.

It is so simple, in our day-to-day lives, to completely forget to feel the one thing we're all supposed to be striving for -- happiness. Whether it...

Offer advice that has someone else's best interests at heart, not yours. In my experience, many young women give their girlfriends advice, particularly that which relates to the love life, and it reflects on their current situation rather than on their girlfriend's situation.

My 2011 involved everything from divorce to infidelity to job changes to several health problems. But it also saw me evolve into a person I would describe as imperfect, honest and open. This transformation didn't happen overnight. And it absolutely involved me putting more effort into learning about myself.