HOW TO STAY HAPPY

to trawl through - to look through a lot of things in order to find something

to ruminate on sth - to think deeply about something

patchy - not of the same quality throughout; inconsistent

to reframe the situation - to change the conceptual or emotional setting or viewpoint in relation to which a situation is experienced and to place it in another frame which fits the 'facts' of the same concrete situation equally well or even better, and thereby changing its entire meaning

an abject failure - failure indicating humiliation

to obsess over - to spend too much time worrying about details

counterintuitive - unreasonable, illogical

time is slipping away - time is passing quickly

to dwell on - to keep thinking or talking about something, especially something bad or unpleasant

to advocate - to recommend or support sth

mundane experience - very ordinary and not at all interesting or unusual experience

to receive praise - to get a strong approval or admiration for someone or something, especially in public

clutter - disorder, mess

junk food - food that has low nutritional value, typically produced in the form of packaged snacks needing little or no preparation

hoarder - a person who accumulate money or objects

disproportionately high rate of - a rate that is too large or too small in comparison with something else

an unfolding pandemic - a pandemic that spreads out

to take proactive steps - to make things happen, instead of waiting for them to happen to you

to shift someone`s mood - to make someone feel more cheerful and hopeful

mindfulness - a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique