Life can be tough, but we must remember that happiness and most importantly, peace is and always will be a choice. Very little is in our control, but what we can control is our outlook.

Here are five simple tips to make your day (and life) great again.

1) Decide on joy.

Before you can ever truly be happy, you must realize that it all starts with a decision. You must purposely choose joy. You must intentionally opt to have a great and productive day. Fake it till you make it.

2) Protect your energy.

You ever walk into a space and just feel the negativity? Energy is truly contagious. Just like you’ll protect yourself while walking home on a deserted street, your energy and aura needs to be secured. There are emotional vultures who will either consciously or subconsciously feed on your energy if you allow them to. Carry headphones, zone out via meditation or simply tell them to miss you with the BS and you will be fine.

3) Meditate.

There’s a reason why meditation has been around for so long. It works. Once you get past the initial thoughts of it feeling like a silly, over- or underwhelming exercise, you’ll wonder why you did not practice the Eastern form of relaxation years ago. If you’re not convinced of the benefits and/or need assistance in implementing meditation into your life, click here.

4) Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day.

No one is saying you have to train like a pro, but you’d be surprised at how much of a difference working out for 30 minutes a day, 3 days a week will make on your mood and your life. Working out is the easiest way to clear your mind and releasing negative stress. Go for a walk outside or hop on the treadmill or elliptical. If you’re feeling very ambitious, hit the weight room. Any little bit helps.

5) Decide to choose yourself over everyone.

Stress is mostly due to external factors and our lack of control (or fear of a lack of control). But once we shift our focus to controlling ourselves and actively deciding what to give attention to, life gets a little bit better. Choosing yourself isn’t selfish; it is necessary. You cannot be there for others if you are not there for yourself. It is simply the law of self-preservation.