So our world has basically turned upside down right? It's like a real-life version of Tangled, except my hair isn't as pretty and the prince is stuck in the tower with me instead of saving me from it. Oh, and there's a shortage of toilet paper and frozen pizzas have become more of a regular thing than I'd like to admit. However, while erasing anxiety during a scary time isn't exactly possible, happiness is a skill, not a circumstance. I've been doing everything I can to stay happy and positive, even if my anxiety and worry might be running rampant from time to time (that's a post for another other day). Here are some regular habits I always do that will help you stay sane, even when the world isn't:

1. Eating extra plants

Focusing on fitting in even more plants into my meals means less space to worry about what I should not be eating (because food should be seen as nourishment, not an expression of self-worth) and ensures I'm getting the full spectrum of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. More importantly for mental health (and for all you science nerds), 95% of serotonin (the "happy hormone") is produced in the gut, and plants act as food for the good bacteria in the gut to flourish. In other words, plants are happy foods that can physically reduce stress and put you in a better mood. Flood your diet with fresh greens, antioxidant-rich fruits, grounding root vegetables, and hydrating melons, cucumbers, and lettuce.

2. Setting daily goals

Goal setting can seem pretty obsolete when you have no idea whether it's Thursday or Monday, but setting and achieving goals can make all the difference in how you feel. At the beginning of every day, I make tiny goals for myself to accomplish by the time I go to sleep. Somedays that means organizing my junk drawer or figuring out how to send out a newsletter (I'm technologically challenged), while other days it means taking a shower or finishing the third season of Gilmore Girls (again). Your goals should look different from day to day, but the important thing here is regularly checking in with what you need, physically and mentally, and giving yourself intentions during a structureless time.

3. Making my bed

At the risk of sounding like your mom, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD please make your bed. I make my bed first thing every morning because it sets me up for one small win, which subconsciously motivates me to achieve thousands of small wins throughout the day (and you know what they say about small wins: they lead up to really big ones. Well, I say that at least). Plus, Gretchen Rubin found in her research that it's the easiest and most common daily habit you can do to boost your happiness.

4. Envisioning my "happy place"

For a while, my "happy place" looked like the average white-sandy beach, or an apartment in Paris (when I was in an adventurous mood). Sometimes it was even sitting around a fireplace with my family at our house in Kentucky (when I really needed a happy place). However, I've trained my mind to turn my "happy place" into a feeling, not a location. Sure it's nice to temporarily remove yourself from your current situation, but visualizing how you want to feel (not where you want to be) is not a temporary escape; it's a tangible change.

The emotions that all of these "happy places" have in common is peace, contentment, and the feeling that all is well. Why not envision those feelings instead, since peace and contentment aren't circumstances of an exterior environment anyways? When you're feeling sad, bored, depressed, or stressed, envision the feeling of happiness instead of the place that makes you happy. Unlike sandy beaches or a Paris apartment, you can actually transport yourself there.

5. Asking myself what will nourish emotions

If you're hungry, you think about what will nourish you, right? It's simply human instinct to feed yourself when you need to be fed (duh!). However, as humans, we've quieted the instinct to nourish ourselves when we feel other emotions too. If you're depressed, sad, bored, unmotivated, or tired, think of what will nourish you. The emotions you feel are your body's response to lack, much like a food craving is your body telling you what it needs more of. Ask yourself what will nourish the negative emotion, and then feed it to yourself as you would eat when you're hungry.

6. Sitting outside first thing in the morning

My dermatologist may not be pleased with me (though I constantly wear SPF, I promise!!), but I rely on sitting outside in the mornings to provide me with energy throughout the day. On a biological level, sunlight turns off your melatonin production, which makes you less tired and balances your circadian rhythm so you'll sleep better at night (win win!). On a more hippy-dippy level, sunshine is a powerful energy source and I truly feel the effects immediately. It's not a coincidence or just a clichéd metaphor that you're happier on sunny days. Go for a morning walk, sip your coffee on your patio, or grab a yoga mat and do some stretches on your balcony.

7. Checking in on other people

Depending on each other (no matter how big or small the pain) is what we're supposed to do as humans. Vent to your mom or lean on your friends when you're feeling sad, but make sure you're also checking in on how other people are doing more often than you're thinking about how you're doing. Send a care package to the healthcare workers in your life, Venmo your best friend $5 for a cup of coffee, or ask your Instagram followers to share with you how they're feeling. But whatever you do, give give give when you start to feel sorry for yourself. Empathy for someone else is the quickest way to heal our own pain.

8. Laughing at least 5x a day

I've said it before and I'll say it again: the most effective thing you can do to be 100% healthier and live longer is A. eat more greens (see: point #1), and B. laugh more. It's been proven that people who laugh at least five times a day for no reason live longer than those who don't. Loneliness and sadness literally affect genes that control immune functions, so laugh extra hard every day (even if, and especially if, you can't find a reason to). Turn on your favorite hilarious movie, schedule a Houseparty Happy Hour with your college friends, or make fun of your boyfriend (that one always works for me).