Are you feeling negativity in your job search? If your job search is wearing you out, or if you just feel unhappy while job searching, here are reminders to help you find happiness – even in a job search.

Don’t compare yourself to others.

Martha is getting a raise and Michael just got promoted to VP, while you’re unemployed or shuffling papers around a desk.

We all have them – those friends or family members who are incredibly more successful than you, and they pull it all off without seeming to work a sweat. You think to yourself, how? Why can’t I be just as successful?

Let me share something with you – You ARE successful. To someone else, you’re that successful Martha and Michael. I know you don’t believe me right now because it’s not in our nature. We always want more. We want better. We tend to look at successful people in our lives and compare ourselves to them. My advice is: Don’t! There will always be people who are more successful than you and those that are worse off. Recognize that you are in your own unique stage in life, whether you are unemployed and job hunting, or stuck in a job you don’t like.

Don’t procrastinate and make excuses for yourself.

I want to apply to these jobs, but I have to run to the grocery store, pick up the kids, etc. Making excuses is a way to make yourself feel better for not doing something you needed to be doing. Eventually, procrastination leads to more stress because tasks you needed to finish will build up. Do you want results? If so, just START DOING. My trick whenever I start feeling myself procrastinating is to just start the activity. Starting is the hardest part, and once you pass that bridge, you’ll find that the task gets easier.

Don’t skip out on exercise or physical activity.

Your body will thank you not only every day, but 5 years down the line. Make it a habit to exercise for at least 30 minutes, 3 days a week. Exercise helps boost your serotonin levels, making you happier and helps you feel more energetic in tackling those day to day duties.

Do give up your need for control.

One of the biggest factors that affect happiness is the need for control. Since many things in life are out of our control, what does that lead to? Worry. Anxiety. Disappointment.

Let go of the need to grab life in the reins, and instead enjoy it for the ride it is. The spontaneity of life is what keeps it exciting and fresh. You won’t know who your next employer will be today or what your career path looks like 10 years down the line, but that’s okay. Nobody knows.

Do manage your expectations.

Managing your expectations is vital to finding your happiness. Life is unpredictable, so we can’t expect everything to work out the way we want. There will be setbacks, along with eventual achievements. Instead do everything with an open mind and you will find yourself so much happier.

According to Broadway’s Annie, you may never be “fully dressed without a smile,” though sometimes it’s hard to wear that smile when you’re in the middle of a job search. No matter how you spin it, job search is hard — especially since what you do is so often tied closely to the quality of life you are able to live.

Enter Gretchen Rubin, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Happiness Project, a book which chronicles both research — and her personal experiments on happiness. Last week I had the opportunity to hear her speak in New York. Today, I’m passing along four of her secrets that you can use in your own job search — without investing a dime.

Receiving compliments may be nice, but research shows that we tend to be happier when we’ve done something that makes us feel good about ourselves. Rubin’s suggestion: ” It’s better for you to do things that make you feel good and proud about yourself than it is for other people to tell you that you’re great.”

It may sound like a small thing, but Rubin says making your bed will help you accomplish two things: First, you will start the day by feeling like you’ve already accomplished something. Secondly, you’ll know you have a clean, welcoming place to sleep at the end of the day. You can skip the hospital corners if you want.  What’s most important is just getting it done!

Have a mug that needs to be washed? An e-mail from a friend that needs to be returned?  A dentist appointment to make? Start your work by taking care of the easy projects you can take of right away. It will help you feel like you’ve accomplished something — which will make you more inclined to keep going. Note: We’ve checked and it takes less than 60 seconds to track a job you’ve applied to inside StartWire.

Does your favorite white shirt have a stain that won’t come out? Need to put out the recycling?  Have clothes in the wrong size? Clear the decks, says Rubin. If you don’t need it, having additional space can be enormously liberating.

Worried you won’t be able to afford the right clothes for your next interview?If you’re unemployed and need assistance, check out Dress for Success (for Women) or Career Gear (for men).If you’re worried about having two good suits for first and second round interviews, try borrowing a secret from frequent fliers who roam the halls of Congress. Keep one great suit in black or navy and use different accessories for different days.

Want to make sure you don’t lose track of your job search records? Don’t forget to use StartWire‘s free tools to track your job applications — and generate work search records required by many state unemployment offices (if applicable).

Get moving. Make your bed. Do the easy things first. Clear the clutter. These are simple steps you can take to move forward with greater happiness — regardless of whether or not that hiring manager calls you when she said she would!

These are our starting tips for feeling happy while in a job search; what additional strategies do you use?