6 Ways To Be Happier

Hey everyone!

With school, college and work starting back for most of us this September, it can often be hard to focus on the positive things in life. I'm not sure about any of you guys, but as soon as I think of Summer, I get frustrated! Long gone are the hours of endless freedom and roaming, and back to routine we go. I'm a generally positive person- I try to be upbeat even if I'm the contrary inside. And so, this September, I've decided to ATTEMPT but all my back-to-school gloom away. Will it work? Who knows! It's normal to have a bad day, but here are my 6 tips on how to be more positive and live a happier school year.

1. Give back- We all get that fuzzy feeling inside when somebody does something nice for us, right? Sometimes it's nice to return a favour, or surprise someone with a gift. Research shows that when we do something nice for someone, it releases dopamine, the "happy hormone". So not only is it good for them, but its good for us too! It doesn't even have to be a physical gift- smiling is contagious you know!

2. Set goals- Personally, I love making lists. I love writing on crisp stationary. I love being organised. Even writing this list is something I'm enjoying! I think if you dream about your future, believe in yourself and try your hardest, dreams can come true. Sounds cheesy, I know, but even if you make a list of where you'd like to see yourself in 10 years, and have a little faith, who knows? It could be a self fulfilling prophecy.

3. Have confidence- Something that definitely holds me back alot of the time is my lack of confidence. Although I have regained alot of the confidence I lost years ago, [especially seeing your nice comments on my blog!] I still find myself cringing a little in awkward situations. Even if you do lack confidence, my top tip is to fake it! Pretend you have confidence, and the world will think you do- including yourself. Be unique, don't give into peer pressure, do what you want, stand out, don't care about what people think of you. Be happy and proud of who you are. ~'cos baby you were born this way~

4. Write down- ..your funniest moments, most embarrassing situations, generous gestures, nicest compliments in a notebook. Anything that made you smile or laugh at the time! When you're feeling blue, or having a bad day, take it out and reread them. For me, reading through my old blog posts and my blog comments is enough to make me happy.

5. Surround yourself- ..with happy people, happy books, happy movies. Do things you enjoy, not what your friends or family want you to do. Don't dwell on the sad things in life- however it's never good to keep everything bottled in, so if watching The Notebook is enough to make you spill buckets and feel instantly better, then watch it! Don't be a negative nelly!

6. Stop counting flaws- Look at yourself in the mirror and notice what you like, what makes you different. Don't focus on what you used to hate. Think of your differences as a good thing. Accept yourself and your body! This is something that I have only recently come to terms with myself. Some people may never be happy with themselves, others may figure it out quicker. Yes, there's things I'd like to change about myself, but honestly I'll learnt to just not care! I'm happy, and that's all that matters.

~

I really hope you've enjoyed this blog post and found it helpful in the slightest. I know it's quite different from my usual posts, so let me know what you think! You can read about 10 things that make me happy here.

-Rachel x

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