Selma Blair and More Stars’ Secrets to Living a Cheerful Life

Selma Blair, Sheryl Lee Ralph and more stars are giving Us their tips for finding joy — but what does happiness look like when it’s practiced?

In addition to rounding up advice from some of our favorite stars, professor of psychology at Yale Laurie Santos also weighs in by giving Us the science of it all in the latest issue of Us Weekly. “The Happiness Lab” podcast host explains to Us how we could — and should — implement the celebrities’ tips into our daily practice of finding cheer.

Keep scrolling for some motivational tools and actionable tips for a happy life:

Getting By With a Little Help From Pets

Comedian and singer Margaret Cho’s animals — she has one dog and three cats — are the main reasons for her high spirits.

“Happiness has really been about caring for these beautiful creatures who are my whole life,” Cho, 56, says.

She credits her beloved pets with helping her navigate a stressful evacuation during the January wildfires that devastated areas surrounding Los Angeles. Though being in the danger zone was scary, she’s thankful that her house survived the fires unscathed — and that she had her pets as support throughout the ordeal.

“My animals gave me so much comfort during that time,” she shares. “They were such good sports about leaving, and that was all I cared about.”

What the Science Says: “Cho is using an evidence-based strategy here,” Santos says. “Research shows that our pets have a hugely positive effect on our happiness, our sense of social connection and our stress levels.”

Grounded in Gratitude

Jason Priestley makes an effort to stay positive.

“I feel like it’s very easy these days to get really jaded and cynical,” Priestley tells Us. “I work very hard to live in gratitude every day for the simple things.”

The things Priestley is grateful for, including and most notably his family — wife Naomi, their daughter Ava and son Dashiell — inspire the Wild Cards actor, 55, to focus on the good.

“I love my wife, and I love my kids, [so] I try to keep it simple and not get pulled down into the rabbit holes of negativity that seem to be pretty pervasive in our society these days,” he explains.

What the Science Says: “Priestley is onto a great strategy from the perspective of science,” the Yale professor tells Us. “Studies show that gratitude is a quick way to feel more satisfied with life. If you want to copy Priestly’s example, consider the happiness-boosting practice of gratitude journaling — writing down a few things you’re grateful for every night.”

Take Chances

Golden Bachelorette Joan Vassos recommends taking risks.

“Do things that are big, do things that scare you,” Vassos, 62, tells Us. “That’s when you discover the things you never knew were going to happen.”

Applying this practice to her dating life has served Vassos well: The widow found love with fiancé Chock Chapple during season 1 of The Golden Bachelorette.

“Look how my life has exploded because I took that chance,” she adds. “Do big things, and you’ll get bigger results.”

What the Science Says: “Many of us are scared to take risks,” Santos says. “But research has shown that we’re more resilient in the face of big challenges than we think. Be like Vassos and take that risk. It might make you happier than you predict.”

Have an Open Heart

Actress Jane Seymour maintains that happiness is found in the simple pleasures of life that are often easy to overlook. We can tap into it by “having a purpose and being open-minded and open-hearted,” the Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman star, 74, says. “Really living in the now.”

What the Science Says: “Seymour is highlighting the power of savoring, the act of stepping out of an experience to mindfully appreciate it,” Santos says. “Research shows that taking time to mindfully notice and appreciate the little things in life can make us happier.”

It Begins Within

For Tiffany Haddish, the secret ingredient to happiness is simple: “You have to like you, right?” Haddish tells Us. If it’s hard to get there, “Look in the mirror… and tell yourself, ‘[I] love and approve of you,’” she shares. “When you love and approve of yourself, it’s really hard to be unhappy.”

And for the Girls Trip star, 45, finding happiness within leads to helping others. “You might feel unhappy for other people’s situations,” she notes, “and you’ll be more of service in that way.”

What the Science Says: “Research shows that engaging in self-compassion is associated with lots of mental health benefits, like lower rates of depression and anxiety as well as higher life satisfaction,” Santos says.

Paying it Forward

How does Blair find happiness? “Appreciating the true friends you have in life,” the Cruel Intentions actress, 52, tells Us. “And I just try and live in the moment because there’s always something. And if I’m having a rough one, I try and do something that’ll make someone else feel better. Especially someone I don’t know. I like random acts of kindness. I just want to make someone’s day that I don’t know.”

What the Science Says: “Blair … is using strategies that science shows are important for happiness,” Santos tells Us. “First, connecting with friends — studies show that our social connection is one of the biggest predictors of satisfaction in life. Second, she recommends being more present. Research finds that living in the moment through practices like mindfulness can make us feel more fulfilled. Finally, Blair feels better with random acts of kindness — experiment after experiment shows that doing nice things for others is a way to make ourselves feel good too.”

Her Mindset, Her Choice

For the Emmy winner , the secret to staying positive is simply deciding to be.

“I choose joy. I choose to be happy,” the Abbott Elementary star, 68, tells Us. “I don’t like to let the burden surrounding me be the burden that I feel I must carry.” Ralph has a valid reason for why she opts for peace of mind, above all — anything else “will mess up my good looks,” she explains. “Can you imagine wearing disappointment or anger on your face? I cannot have that.”

What the Science Says: “Ralph’s tips fit with what the research shows: we can, in fact, choose to be happier — especially if we’re willing to put some work in to change our behaviors,” Santos says. “As happiness researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky put it in her book The How of Happiness, the key to happiness lies not in changing our genetic makeup (which is impossible) and not in changing our circumstances (i.e. seeking wealth or attractiveness), but in our daily intentional activities.”

You can take a version of Santos’ course, Psychology and the Good Life, online for free at coursera.org.

For more pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly, on stands now.