Let go of expectations. Practice going with the flow of life. Make a conscious choice to simply accept life as it comes to you instead of holding to a particular idea about how life should be. Clinging too stringently to any particular life expectation can make you obstinate towards other possibilities which may hold just as much promise as the dream you had been envisioning. Be mindful of keeping a hopeful outlook but exercise flexibility in your optimism. The situations you encounter in life may not be what they appear to be upon first impressions. Today's tragedies can turn into tomorrow's triumphs. Give life the freedom to pleasantly surprise you. The experience of enjoyable surprises naturally excites interest in life.
Engage in activities that invigorate your energy and help release tension. Set aside time for daily aerobic exercise. Take up dancing, or racquet ball, or something else physically active that you think you might find enjoyable. Make it a point to spend some time out in the sun every day. Work on modifying your eating habits to improve your diet. Try to get an adequate amount of sleep every night.
Dedicate some time each day, or every other day, to giving your full attention to something which challenges you in a way that doesn't incite pressure or anxiety. In other words, take up a hobby. Let that hobby be something you've always wanted to learn more about, or learn how to do, but for some reason you never got around to doing. Maybe you felt like you didn't have enough time, or perhaps you didn't feel confident enough to give it try. Set aside those old excuses and dive in. Do it for no other objective other than to satisfy your curiosity. Maybe you always wanted to study astronomy, or learn how to draw or play an instrument. You could take a class at a community college or go to the local library and start working on self educating yourself.
Shake up your routine. Try something new every day, even if it's something as simple as trying out a new route to work.
Spend quality time with loved ones. That is, make it a point to hang out with your loved ones for no other purpose than to feel joy in their company.
Check your negative thoughts. Pay attention to the things you internally say to yourself. Whenever you find yourself defining something in a negative way - a way that makes you feel stressed or despairing - stop! Change your language. Endeavor to see the same thing you were thinking about in a positive light. Even if you can't bring yourself to fully believe this positive outlook yet, it's still important to challenge your destructive thoughts, because this is the only way you will ever break the pattern of engaging in negative thinking.