Are the winter blues getting you down? Don’t let the weather—or any other outside event—determine your level of happiness. If there is one primary insight revealed by recent research into the psychology of happiness, it is overwhelming evidence that happiness is a choice; it’s within our control, regardless of outside circumstances. But general knowledge is one thing and practical tools quite another. To help you prove this to yourself, here are a few happiness tools that are guaranteed to work.

Experts say the keys to successful aging include accepting changes and finding meaningful activities. Aging gracefully isn’t always easy, but attitude is incredibly important. It’s true that aging brings hardships, but remember that the old are survivors. Wisdom, resilience and a mature perspective are often cited as the hard-won prizes of aging. Growing old is an accomplishment.

What do Madonna, Shaquille O’Neal, Lance Armstrong, Claudia Schiffer, Clint Eastwood, Karl Lagerfeld and many other celebrities and well-known athletes have in common? They’ve all reported using a vibrating exercise machine known as Whole Body Vibration (WBV). Lagerfeld apparently credits the shaking platform with his dramatic weight loss.

With obesity rates at record highs, it seems like we’re constantly being bombarded with diet options ranging from low-carb to low-fat. But not all diets are just about losing weight. Some, like the DASH Diet, can also lower your blood pressure and improve your health.

Many people suffer from frequent heartburn. The following guidelines can help to prevent or relieve the uncomfortable symptoms. The danger from GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) lies in the repeated exposure of the esophagus to acid; this can result in respiratory symptoms as well as changes in the lining’s cells. In addition to following these strategies, speak with your physician.

Have you noticed how very free of wrinkles teenage skin is? Do you ever wonder why? First of all, they have more facial fat. As we age, the collagen and elastin in our skin breaks down and our skin becomes thinner. Also, young people have not spent many years in the sun, therefore they have no sun damage. When I was a teenager, my friends and I always carried an aluminum shield to the beach along with our towels and other gear. We applied tanning oil to attract the sun and we would lie on a blanket and hold the reflector near our faces to catch the sun’s rays.