I scored a 96% in Yale's class on happiness, and it was because I started using 6 simple strategies that are backed by science

Split up anything that you enjoy a lot — "Game of Thrones," Cheetos, the new Lizzo song. Every single time you interrupt something you're enjoying and then go back to it later, you re-experience it and thus increase your happiness. Sounds weird, but research confirms it.

Dr. Santos says just the act of imagining that life as you know it is about to vanish can greatly boost your appreciation. It puts everything into perspective. The good things in your life start popping to the forefront of your mind, because you are now worried about losing them.

Turns out your stuff loses "happiness value" almost as soon as you've purchased it. Paying for experiences, however, has multiple benefits for happiness. So traveling to a new place is a much better investment in terms of happiness than buying material things like new headphones.

Savoring is the act of stepping outside of an experience to review and really appreciate it. The exercise also forces your brain to enjoy an experience for longer. Research shows reliving happy memories can make your positive emotions last up to a month. Also, to really enhance the experience, share it with others.

Random acts of kindness really do promote your own sense of well-being. It's easy to figure out ways to be kind if you're out in the world each day — help a nun across a busy street (I really did that).

But here's one sure-fire tip — try buying a stranger a coffee. Research shows the money you spend on others makes you happier. And this seems to be true across different cultures and around the world.

Justin Maiman writes a weekly newsletter called Ginger that's devoted to moments of inspiration. (Read Ginger and subscribe for free here.) He's a journalist with more than 20 years of experience in digital media and television, including working at media titans like Business Insider, Yahoo, Bloomberg, Fox News and PBS affiliates in St. Paul and Boston. He's currently the president and managing director of Cochrane Media, a boutique media shop in New York.