25 Ways To Be Happy Now

Certainly, we all experience moments when we feel less than stellar. You know those days when literally nothing is going your way, and you start to question why you even bothered to get out of bed that morning. Or, even, why you exist in the first place if it's a particularly crappy day. Well, there are an innumerable amount of actions you take to turn that frown upside down, and Lily Melrose (one of my favourite YouTubers) helpfully created a video detailing 25 small ways you can make yourself happy right now. You can watch the video below, and keep reading for ten things that instantly improve my mood.

I think it's important to remember how fortunate you are and that whatever you are going through, no matter how terrible and unbearable, it will pass. Remember "it's not a bad life, just a bad day". If you find that you often feel very down and miserable for reasons out of your control then it might be useful to make a list of things that used to make you happy. Every time you feel sad, choose an option from that list and see if it helps improve your mood. I'll list ten things I do that make me happier below, I apologise as some of them Lily mentioned in the video.

1. Tea. Literally the best thing.

2. Do, at least, one productive thing. Typically, for me, this is almost always a very boring task like going to the bank, replying to an email, tweaking my CV. These are things I always put off because I am a born procrastinator, but at least if you have tackled at least one task you know it hasn't been a waste of a day.

3. Laughter is always the best medicine. The most wasted of all days is one without laughter. So spend time with friends that never fail to crack you up, or if the thought of leaving your house amplifies your misery watch a funny show or film. I love Parks and Recreation, I laugh out loud every few minutes, it's a wonderful show that I am completely hooked on.

4. Arrange events, even a simple meeting with a friend, or buying a day ticket to London, it will give you something to look forward to. If you have the funds plan a holiday.

5. YouTube. I could watch YouTube videos incessantly, I have learnt so much from just watching YouTube, so many amazing tips and tricks and I have discovered life-changing products. If you're a makeup and beauty fanatic like me I recommend Glam Life Guru aka Tati Westbrook, Huda Kattan, Lisa Eldridge, Wayne Goss and I Covet Thee. All brilliant channels, I am subscribed to over one hundred, but these are the best. For funny rather than informative videos I recommend iisuperwomanii; funniest person on the net.

6. Write it down. Write what is getting you down, or leaving you feeling frustrated and overwhelmed. It acts as an outlet when you dispel the words onto a page, and it passes some time where all you were going to do is ruminate over the object of your misery.

7. Bubble baths, work every time, I always read in the bath and it is the only place in the world where I feel completely alone, it's totally private and perfect. Reading is one of my favourite things to do.

8. Be nice. If you're having a shitty day being the reason someone else smiles can honestly feel amazing, so just be kind. I always give heartfelt compliments to people, because on some days I just have no filter. You can make someone's day just by being nice. Or if you don't feel like talking, buy a homeless person a sandwich.

9. Candles always make me feel better, burning a heavenly scented candle improves my mood immediately. My favourite scent is vanilla at the moment, I just can't get enough. I don't burn candles often, so it acts as a treat.

10. Another failsafe way to improve my mood is with food, if I feel like shit I will walk out the door and buy all my favourite chocolate, I'll buy ice cream, Pringles, whatever I fancy. I just throw caution to the wind. Donuts are always a good choice.

This post ended up being longer than I thought, I hope it helped you in some way or at least gave you some ideas for the next time you're not feeling your best. Thank you very much for reading, please leave a comment telling me how you cheer yourself up I would love to hear it. Don't forget to follow if you wish to, you can subscribe via email.

Best wishes,
Kiran

Leaving University

Hello, this is the millionth blog I have created and something I have wanted to do for, honestly, such a long time. I am about to graduate from The University of Warwick with a BSc in Psychology and I'm scared. I have no idea what I am doing, if I'll ever find a job, let alone the one I want, and leaving university behind is, in some ways, a terrifying experience. This transition will be hard, there are just as many things that I won't miss compared to what I will miss. 

I'll miss my friends. The freedom of living in your own space, choosing when you want to be social, or when you want to be alone and binge-watch Parks and Rec. I'll definitely miss being able to shower at weird times of the day without anyone giving me shit for it, and being able to spend as long as I want in the shower without someone lecturing me about the price of water. I'll miss the academia, I can't recall a time when I didn't have to submit essays, or show up to classes, lectures, or seminars. I'll even, bizarrely enough, miss the pressure of revision time because it gives me a purpose. I'll miss buying a suitcase worth of junk food because I am ravenously hungry when I pass Tesco, and visiting all the cute places on campus. Most of all, I'll miss the student discount.

However, I won't miss the stress of deadlines and annoying nonsensical emails. The way the buses seem to be the bane of my existence as I can never be on time anywhere, I am either ridiculously early or ridiculously late. I won't miss the less than stellar condition of our living accommodation, or the general phobic reaction all students seem to have to cleaning. I won't miss the weird noises I always hear when I am in the house alone, or the fear that someone is constantly trying to break in. I won't miss my utter horror every time my laptop decides to do something spontaneous which never fails to give me a heart attack. The constant worry that I am not working hard enough or that I am not having enough fun. I definitely won't miss the crappy food or my newfound addiction to Domino's Pizza and Pringles. Bring on the fruit and veg. 

Overall, one could say it is pretty balanced. Lately, my mood has been fluctuating all over the place and it occurs to me that I am not alone. I am sure many of  you might be experiencing something similar and I just want to share my experience with you, as well as any tips I learn along the way. Above all, I want to be honest with you and be someone you feel comfortable sharing your thoughts with, as I am always happy to lend an ear to whoever needs it. 

In addition, in spite of a five-year long relationship with Psychology that started in Year 12, I am reluctant to let go of it, and even more importantly I refuse to forget some of the fascinating things I have learnt over the years. Hence, this blog is all about Psychology and Mental Health. I hope you enjoy this journey with me, and it helps you in some small way. Please leave a comment with your thoughts and suggestions as I really want this blog to be helpful to people like yourself. Thank you very much for reading. Take care.

Best wishes,

Kiran