Happiness: You know it when you feel it, and you definitely know it when you don't. While few of us walk around grinning in a constant state of bliss, frequent feelings of sadness are a reason to pause and take stock of why that might be. The opposite of happiness isn't always unhappiness, either; if you're no longer getting a kick out of things that once brought you joy, that's another major sign that something's amiss.

According to Acacia Parks, the chief scientist at Happify, a site that offers "emotional health solutions" crafted with the help of experts in the field, "research suggests that happiness is a combination of how satisfied you are with your life (for example, finding meaning in your work) and how good you feel on a day-to-day basis."

Have you felt like your inner world's a bit drearier lately, even when you're in good health, employed, and on financially solid ground? If so, these research-backed strategies can help you answer the question "Why can't I be happy?"

First, know the difference between "the blues" and depression.

We've all had our "off" days, but a longer stretch of unhappiness can mean it's time to seek professional help.

"Unhappiness can be a guide and friend, helping us to know ourselves better and become more fully aware of what makes us feel alive and passionate about our lives," says Laura Petiford, a licensed marriage and family therapist based in Connecticut. But if you experience what the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) identifies as symptoms of depression for at least two weeks, most of the time and on most days, Petiford says it may be something more serious.

Meanwhile, "'the blues' are another normal experience of life, and can accompany a memory, transition, or other loss," according to Petiford. Either way, trying therapy—even if it's an online platform—can help uncover what you need to move forward, and if you're having thoughts of self-harm, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255.

Then, stop comparing your life to others'.

As life coach and Fix My Life host Iyanla once said, "Comparing yourself to others is an act of violence against your authentic self." It's tough to enjoy what you've got when your mind is glutted with thoughts like Why don't I have what that person has? That said, the impulse is perfectly natural, if often unhealthy.

"We're social creatures, profoundly impacted by the presence and influence of the people around us," says life coach Susan Biali Haas. "It's fundamentally human to closely observe what others are doing and compare that to ourselves."

Trouble is, Haas points out, we're more likely to zero in on whatever professional milestone/diamond ring/happier marriage a peer is boasting about on Instagram, wherein it suddenly becomes a bummer if we don't have the same thing. And speaking of Instagram (and Facebook, and LinkedIn)...

"We've all had the experience of being in a perfectly good mood, feeling reasonably content about ourselves and our lives, until we scroll through a social media feed," Haas points out. "Suddenly, we see something that makes us feel inadequate or envious. Though your life is still the same good life you had a moment ago, the comparison robs you of your peace and contentment, blotting out your good feelings about your life."

Quitting social media altogether isn't realistic. But Haas suggests revamping your Facebook feed settings so you can only see a select group of people's posts (i.e., the people who make you feel like your best self). As for Instagram, "Pay attention to what types of posts, or people, tip you into the comparison trap, and curate your feed accordingly if you can." Delete the accounts that are slowly poisoning your self-esteem.

Nature will nurture you.

Spending time in nature can relax you, reduce stress, and clear your mind, according to John Zelenski, a psychology professor who's studied the connection between happiness and nature. "Short walks are great, but even sitting still boosts your mood."

Practice gratitude (and then keep practicing).

Positive psychology research findings have extolled the benefits of gratitude again and again, but amid life's very real disappointments, it can be tough to stay grateful. Think of gratitude as a muscle you've got to work to maintain.

"Whether you keep a gratitude journal or say a thank-you prayer at bedtime, this focus will help you stay centered in all the goodness that fills your life," Haas says.

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Oprah Reads Entries from Her First Gratitude Journal | The Oprah Winfrey Show | OWN

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Oprah's been singing the praises of a gratitude journal—in which you jot down small things you're grateful for, at least several times a week—since the 1990s. In this 1997 clip from The Oprah Winfrey Show, Oprah celebrates the avocados she had a spiritual (yet hilarious) connection with on a vacation; now she's got her own avocado orchard.

Break free of thinking, I'll be happy when...

"I think the most common myth about happiness is the idea that 'I will be happy when,'" says Sonja Lyubomirsky, psychology professor and author of The Myths of Happiness: What Should Make You Happy, but Doesn't, What Shouldn't Make You Happy, but Does. "So, I'm not happy now, but I'll be happy when I have a baby, or when I finally get married, or move to California, or get that promotion and raise that I've always wanted, or move into a real house, or lose 20 pounds."

Achieving those goals will bring happiness, Lyubomirsky explains, but people often expect that feeling to last forever, when it's typically fleeting: "Eventually, research shows, most people return to their previous happiness baseline."

"People are prone to over-emphasizing how much major life events will change their overall happiness," Zelenski confirms. So if your post-wedding life isn't the paradise you'd imagined, that's completely normal.

Exercise your way to better moods.

"Exercise increases a protein in the brain called brain-derived neurotropic factor, or BDNF, that's been shown to enhance mental abilities while acting against anxiety and depression, says Petiford. She suggests moderate-level intensity workouts like walking, biking, and rowing, which have been shown to boost BDNF.

You might've been born with a base happiness level, but you can raise it.

"People are not blank slates when it comes to happiness," Zelenski says, explaining that genes and early life experience can inform a person's sense of well-being over the course of their life.

One's personality, economic circumstances, and habits can contribute to a fixed level of happiness that spans decades: "The happiest 20-year-olds are, on average, the happiest 40-, 50-, and 60-year-olds," he says.

That said, you can work your way to a somewhat sunnier demeanor (work being the operative word). "This might involve little daily exercises, efforts to change habits, or counseling."

Commit acts of kindness on a regular basis.

"Have you noticed how good you feel when you hold the door for someone, or smile and say 'thank you'? Those feelings come from biochemical changes in the brain," Petiford says.

Performing an act of kindness can boost oxytocin, aka "the love hormone," and euphoria-inducing dopamine—so much so that researchers have dubbed it the helper's high.

Petiford puts it best: "It makes you feel better, and the ripple effects benefit those around us. And can't we all use a little more of that these days?"

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