It’s often said that happiness is a choice: You can either choose to be happy or choose to be sad, stressed, or anxious.

But simply choosing happiness doesn’t always make it so. Many times, you can’t simply force a smile and make believe that everything is coming up roses.

Thankfully, there are much more effective ways, based squarely on research-proven Positive Psychology strategies and concrete techniques that can help you deal effectively with life’s challenges and attain long-term happiness.

• Get into the happiness “flow” — that happy zone where you’re super engaged and absorbed both at work and in your leisure time.
• Keep the burden of “too many choices” from robbing you of pleasure. Discover the powerful impact of a stress-relieving “choice diet.”
• Let go of resentment, envy and grudges — emotions that hurt you more than they hurt people who may have wronged you.
• Develop the resilience to handle difficulties more easily and bounce back more rapidly after dramatic or unpleasant events.
• Stop procrastination or beating yourself up when things go wrong with powerful “self-compassion” techniques.
• Develop an unshakable attitude of gratitude with specific techniques that help lead to more positive emotions, stronger relationships and a greater ability to deal with adversity.
• Increase your focus and alertness with two simple stress-relieving “mindfulness” techniques you can use today.
• Short-circuit the anxiety caused by Facebook envy, Twitter rage and other social media hazards with three simple strategies.
• Savor more pleasure in your life with specific “enjoy the moment” activities — and why multitasking is the enemy of savoring.
• Experience the “warm glow” of happiness by re-discovering a universal trait of a life well-lived.
• Enjoy happier, more resilient relationships with the help of surprisingly simple activities.
• And more powerful techniques from the mental health experts at Harvard Medical School.