On her Facebook page Loretta Breuning, PhD discusses methods to increase happy pathways in our brains.  

Dr. Breuning explains complex brain chemicals and neurocircuits simply and concisely to help us change the ways we think and act. 

With humble and contrite apologies to Dr. Breuning I have simplified her thoughts even more:

• Neurochemical pathways connect the emotional areas of our brain to our brain’s thinking areas and vice versa. 
• Likewise these areas connect to the part of the brain that controls our body functions. 
• Positive events increase happy pathways and chemicals. Negative events develop unhappy pathways and chemicals. 
• All of us can learn to increase our positive pathways and decrease our negative pathways by training our brain.

Take anxiety for example.  Fretting, worrying, ruminating and wringing our hands reinforce anxious pathways. 

Positive activity counters our negative focus. By participating in happy actives—those things we enjoy doing–the less we fret and worry.