I know people love a good ol' 'How To' blog post, myself including, so I thought it was about time I did another. I don't know how helpful it will be but I suppose we shall fathom that at the end. So recently I been a little down and I sat at my desk all alone, feeling sorry for myself, and it got me pondering happiness.
Sure, we all feel down and sometimes we feel really down and we think that happiness is so far out of reach or for some is an impossible task. But I soon realised it wasn't. Sometimes when we're down, we see happiness as something enormous and difficult to get, which then only makes us feel worse. We sometimes feel as though we are never going to be perfectly happy. So whilst pondering, I thought I would list down some steps as to being happy. Now of course I'm not saying these will definitely work or that they are scientifically proved, but they have helped me.


1.) Realisation- Sometimes even WE don't know why we are sad, we just are. And not knowing can make things worse, which is why I feel it is best to ask yourself and really dig deep, 'Why am I sad? What is causing my sadness?' Now it will take time, and there are days when we are literally down for no reason, but usually there will be a reason, and once you've figured out what it is, you'll be able to understand your emotions and perhaps overcome it.

2.) Acceptance- Accept the situations, accept your life and accept yourself. This is tricky. I won't sit here and act like it'll be easy. I still have a lot of work to do on this step. I find it hard to accept things in life, things that aren't fair and make me ask 'why me?'. But getting wound up about something won't necessarily change it. Unfortunately in life, things aren't always fair, and they do suck! But it is how we react and go about them that will result in a happier self. We sometimes have to just ACCEPT that there will be bad times, and some days we will be sad. But that's okay, we're only human.

3.) Talk to people- bottling up emotions is never good. Hell, I've tried, and I'm sure you all have too. So maybe you feel most comfortable with a friend or maybe your sibling or your mother, who ever you feel is the right person to talk to, talk to them. Even if they have no opinion on the matter, just having someone to listening will feel great. And once you've ranted and gotten everything off you chest, a huge weight will be lifted. Will the problem be solved, no probably not, but you'll feel happier for sharing. And besides that's what your friends and family are for.

4.) Don't be angry- We all get angry from time to time, I get angry a lot. But what does anger really solve- nothing. So it's a whole lot of wasted energy resulting in nothing. It's so much better to just brush it off your shoulder and let it go. Need I sing Frozen's 'Let It Go' here? I know we all want to get angry sometimes, not that its a nice feeling but in some ways I feel as though because it is one of the stronger emotions we feel more certain and powerful, which can often give us a rush of adrenaline. But wouldn't you rather have a happy adrenaline rush. If you face things positively they are much more likely to be resolved. So don't be angry, just stay calm and distract yourself with something that will make you laugh.

5.) Always make time for family- I know when you get to a certain age, all you want to do is hang out with your friends. And whilst friends are extremely important, nothing goes deeper than family. I know that I feel at my happiest when I am with my family. And if you are lucky enough to have a good family, then there is just so much unconditional support, comfort and love there waiting for you. Whenever I feel down, I think of my family and how crazy we are. It gives me strength . When you're with family, you can completely relax and be you.

6.) Do fun things- Sounds and obvious one but it can be the simplest of things. Such as going for a coffee with an old friend and catching up, or booking cinema tickets to a funny movie. Even a little stroll through the park with your partner, will be enough to make you feel like you did something productive with your day. I went for a 10 minute walk through the park with my boyfriend the other day- so simple- and it made me ridiculously happy! Or if these aren't your things, then whatever is, you should do them. Having something to look forward to or maybe something spontaneous, are really great, easy ways to stay positive and happy.

7.) Listening to happy music- Music can have such a strong impact on our emotions and mood. If I listen to a sad song, I feel sad. It goes without saying. So listen to a happy song in the car or whilst getting ready in the morning, it does a world of good!

8.) Stay cool- Whenever I get hot and bothered I feel angry and stressed. Whenever I'm walking somewhere, because I am a fast walker, I get hot very easily. So if you're like me, then plan extra time to walk, so you don't have to walk so fast, don't get out of breath, and you'll have more time to enjoy the walk. This sounds like a silly step, but like I said, sometimes it's the little things, that will determine anger/happiness.

9.) Treat yourself- I know some of us aren't exactly rich, so this one may be a little difficult. But I'm not suggesting you spend heaps of money all the time. Just every now and again or when you're feeling down, treat yourself. It could even be free, for example a relaxing evening away from work/study, with a face pack and a movie. I treated myself to a Domino's pizza the other night- totally worth it!

10.) Relax- It's so easy to get stressed these days. So why not try sleeping to some relaxing music. When I did that for a week, my sleeping was so much better and I felt a lot better for doing it. It can really help stress levels. Or if you're not in to that then meditation could work- although a little hard if you're a fidget like me! Whatever it is that you find relaxing, a bubble bath maybe, it'll help you wind down from the day and you'll see that anger wash away!

Now I hope these little tips have helped. Of course these aren't the only steps, but these were some I had thought of and wanted to share with you all! X