Happiness is vital to living a good life because magic happens for you when you are happy. But how do you make yourself happy?
The most important thing you can do is realize how happy or unhappy you are. You know yourself better than anyone else, so it is you who needs to determine what your next step should be.
There are many, many activities that you can use to make yourself happy, but it truly depends on what feels good to you. One day, journaling might help you, and another day, singing might light your fire. Perhaps you are feeling really depressed, and the most you can muster is to put away the dishes. I've been there. I know how hard it can be to make yourself do something that feels good. The important thing is that you do something. It's weird how one day, doing that one good thing will lead to another. Before you know it, you are doing more and more good things and realize that you are feeling happier!
Let's get down to the brass tacks. No matter where you are in your life right now - already happy or depressed - make a list of what would make you happy. It could range from the dishes as mentioned above to accomplishing a HUGE goal you've had for yourself.
After that list is made, do them. Excuses be gone!
This doesn't mean you can't have downtime. It doesn't mean you have to focus on this list solely. Just make sure you do one thing from there each day.
You are a marvelous person, and you deserve to gift yourself happiness. Nobody else in the world can do it for you, but you can. It starts with putting yourself first.