Have you ever done something you’re really good at and time flies because it’s so fulfilling, effortless, and energizing? That’s what happens when you use your strengths; you just do what comes naturally and everything falls into place.

Playing to your strengths is a great way to improve your mood—and make you feel more effective—as you go about your daily activities. Here’s an action plan on how to do it:

Find out what your unique strengths are. (Don’t worry. Everyone has them!)

• Spend 10 minutes thinking about things that you do—or have done in the past—that are fun, easy, and successful.
• Write down three or more of these things that you naturally excel at.
• Are there things you do that others think are outstanding? Include those too.
• Remember that these things can be small (like baking cookies, arranging flowers, playing a sport, or telling a joke) and they can be stuff you do at home or at work.

Then incorporate your strengths into everyday activities.

• Take your list of strengths and think about how you can use them in your daily life, either next week or in the future.
• Match your strengths to positive activities and plan to do them by adding them to your calendar.
• For even more of a mood boost, explore how you might use your strengths in others areas of your life. Could you volunteer and use them to help others? Would it be enjoyable to plan more time to nurture your strengths?

As you begin to play to your strengths, take a few moments to notice how you feel before, during, and after the activities that use them. If you experience a mood boost, you’ll know that this is a good strategy for you to use whenever you need it.