If you want to be happy, be.
– Leo Tolstoy

“Happiness Doesn’t Have to Be a Heavy Lift,” is the name of an article in the New York Times by Jancee Dunn. Her premise is that there are ways we can boost our mood that only take a few minutes. Here are two of the ideas she proposes:

“Look for ‘reverse pet peeves.’

“‘A pet peeve is something small that disproportionately annoys you,’ said Bree Groff, author of the upcoming book Today Was Fun. In contrast, she said, ‘a ‘reverse pet peeve’ is something small that brings you disproportionate joy.’

“This can be as weird as you like, Groff added. ‘I’ve noticed that I like arranging all the things at my desk at right angles,’ she said. ‘It makes me feel some sense of peace and control over my little world.’

“Schedule a few ‘T.L.J.s.’

“MaryCatherine McDonald, a trauma researcher and author of The Joy Reset uses another term for those bright bits of happiness: tiny little joys, or T.L.J.s.

“Dr. McDonald’s clients have told her that their T.L.J.s include the first sip of coffee in the morning or the satisfaction of peeling a banana into perfectly even strips.”