• Spend time with friends and family
• Go outside
• One study found that people who just thought about watching their favorite movie actually raised their endorphin levels by 27 percent.
• In the study, the effect of vacation anticipation boosted happiness for eight weeks. If you can’t take the time for a vacation right now, or even a night out with friends, put something on the calendar—even if it’s a month or a year down the road. Then whenever you need a boost of happiness, remind yourself about it.

Display sentimental items around your home. One reason that experiences (and memories of those experiences) make us happier than material things is due to the entire cycle of enjoyment that experiences provide: planning the experience, looking forward to the experience, enjoying the experience, and then remembering the experience. Make your home a gallery of positive memories.

• Spend money on things that cultivate experiences at home. Save money for a new grill for parties or a new DVD for family movie night — something that will encourage you to have people over and entertain. Plan a summer barbeque, invite your closest friends, kick back and relax. (And don't forget to print out the pictures to remember the good times.)
• Use Your Mind-Body Connection to Strengthen Your Resolve.

If you have a hard time flexing your willpower, try flexing your biceps instead. It turns out that clenching your muscles can actually help you to shore up the self-control you need to eat healthfully, commit to unpleasant tasks. Use this tactic the next time you need a boost in willpower: Simply make a fist and you'll skate through any situation with ease.

• When you eat outdoors, your senses are nourished by the sights, sounds, and smells of nature, says Brightwood. As a result, you're fully awake and engaged in the moment, which helps you to slow down, savor the meal, and ultimately eat less to feel satisfied.