Feeling joy is good for you, not just because you’re happy in the moment. It can be saved and used again.

When you feel joyful, you’re in a positive mood (情绪), which helps you deal with challenges and solve problems. Suzy Reading, a psychologist, says experiencing joy benefits your health. It protects you from illness, and reduces pain, worry and stress. Joy spreads quickly, benefiting not only you but also those around you.

A joy journal is a special place for you to record anything that brings you joy. It’s your journal, so you can put whatever you like in it. Taking time to make a note of what’s giving you joy helps you pay attention to that experience and draw even more happiness from it.

Suzy Reading says your joy journal can help you remember happier times when you are feeling a bit sad, lonely, and worried. Turning the pages can help those same feelings of joy flood back, making you feel better. It can remind you that this moment will pass and joy will come again soon.

How do you keep a joy journal? Choose a notebook and decorate (装饰) the cover. It is up to you how often you add to it—perhaps every day after school or only at weekends. You can keep all your joyful things together or divide your journal into areas such as family, friends, school, and hobbies. To best express yourself, you can write, draw, use colorful pens, and stick things in. In your joy journal, you can write lists of your favorite things: your favorite foods, TV shows, or animals, and what you like about them. You can record a moment from each day that gave you joy: who was there, what happened, and what you could see, hear, and smell. This will help you feel the joy again and remember it more easily. You could also make a joy journal with your family to record what makes you all happy.

Perhaps you are too busy to keep a joy journal every day, or you have other ways to treasure your happy moments, such as social media posts and video diaries. These are really good ways, but if possible, try writing down the things that bring a smile to your face in your joy journal.

Have you ever done something that you didn’t really want to do, just because other people were doing it? All of us feel pressure to follow others at times, and this can lead us to pretend that we like things more than we actually do. When we do this, we’re not being true to ourselves. It’s important to be honest about your feelings with yourself because this can help you ① happier and less upset.

If you want some time alone, to relax or read a book, then being true to yourself might mean saying no to the friends who want you to play. Or if your friends are playing a game that you don’t enjoy, then being true to yourself might mean doing something else instead. Being true to yourself is when your actions match how you really feel.

When we keep doing things we don’t like, it can make us feel uncomfortable, worried or sad. Naomi Richards, a children’s life coach and writer of Being Me said, “Children need to know who they are, their values and their beliefs. If they know about these, they won’t do things which they know are wrong, and they will have a healthy self-esteem.” Self-esteem is how you feel about yourself.

One part of being true to yourself is in how you speak to other people, and being OK with saying “no”. Richards explains, “You can be true to yourself by ② how to say ‘no’ and keeping your beliefs.” However, she adds that being true to yourself is also about “being honest with yourself and what you want and need, and listening to your feelings”. Finally, Richards says, “You can learn how to be true to yourself by being yourself—not changing your ideas and actions to follow.”

Do you know your neighbors? Do you often talk with them? Good neighbors are just like our friends and relatives. They are the important people in our lives. They make our lives more pleasant and give us a sense of who we are, both as an individual and as a member of the community. Here’s how to develop your relationships with these very important people in your life.

Start a conversation. Often neighbors don’t even know each other’s names. However, most neighbors enjoy making small talk with each other in their community. You can ask how their kids are or what they think of the prices at the supermarket. But the best way to break the ice is to smile, wave and say hello to your neighbors.

Be friendly to the newcomers. Your new neighbors may be feeling lonely, especially if they’re far from home, and might expect a friendly face. If they have kids, give them your phone number, and point to your house as you say good-bye.

Develop better relationships. Return anything that you borrow from a neighbor, such as tools, in good repair and as soon as you’ve finished with them. Make sure that your car is not blocking their doorway. Such small actions will help you build up a good relationship with your neighbors.

Make time for your friendship. If you value a friendship with your neighbors, spend time with them. Why not invite them to a barbecue or weekend party?You can write a card to invite them to your party. Then, you can make a call to them ahead. In this way, you will know what your neighbors like. You can plan for proper food and music.

Care about the details. In a good relationship, it’s really the little things that count. When your neighbors carry a lot of things, you can give them a hand. Help to bring in the mail for the elderly neighbor when it rains. If you care about them, too. The respect for your neighbors feelings can develop your relationship with them.