It is taking care of my house that is emotionally -- not financially -- wearing me down. It is having so many rooms that get messy. It is having an ice dam and not knowing the best person to hire to take care of it. It is having electrical and plumbing and dryer issues that overwhelm me.

What I've been advised is that finding the right handymen and contractors -- and maybe even cleaning service on occasion -- will ultimately be a greater investment than selling at lowball 2011 prices and moving into a place that doesn't provide me rental income.

This is boring personal story.

What I'm actually here to share with you are a few more tips from my neighbor, Dan Buettner, about how to Thrive (the title of his latest book) in your home.

Here are two of the five tips he wrote about in a recent Psychology Today blog:

"Regardless of whether you live in a 7,000 square foot suburban mansion or an efficiency apartment, simple changes in your home can encourage the behaviors that build happiness.

• Designate a flow room. Choose one room in the home which will promote what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi identifies as "flow," the state of engagement in which you're using your talents, optimally challenged, consummately interested and able to let time melt away. Set up the room so it's easy to play an instrument, read a book or to play a game with family. Lose the clock, the TV, the computer or any other gadget that takes your mind off engaging activities. Make it the most aesthetically appealing room in the house, with the best light and nicest furniture so you'll naturally be drawn to spend time in it.
• Create a family shrine. The newest measures of happiness involve how you experience life (as opposed to how you remember it; a flawed assessment since we only remember about 3 percent of our past). Set up one area of your house to routinely remind you of the people, accomplishments, and events of which you are proud. Frame photos, keepsakes and carefully selected mementos. Arrange the items in a place where you will see them often, such as a hall way or near the entrance to your bedroom.

Happiness is not about a silver bullet--it's about silver buckshot. The more we can punctuate our life with things that nudge us into greater well-being, the happier we will be."