Even though I suffer from anxiety (which is very inconsistent - sometimes I can have minor episodes every now and then, and sometimes I can have extreme panic attacks regularly - over the same thing,) around 80% of the time I'm usually pretty happy. A while ago, I had a very rough patch where I was blacking out, and a lot of generally shit things were happening in just every aspect of my life, and my friend online asked me how I was staying so chipper, and in all honesty, I had no idea. Now, however, I've done my own mini investigation and almost 'discovered' the ways in which I stay happy, and thought I'd share them with you lovely lot in a series of posts...
One part of my personality which can yo-yo between being great and just plain annoying, is the fact that I get excited by little things. This could be something as plain and simple as getting a text from someone, or even an old song I used to love a few years ago randomly popping on shuffle, but when these little things add up during the day you can look back and think, you know what, today was actually a great day.
If an artist I like comes out with a new song, or even announces something new is coming, I get very happy. If a friend texts me, or even replies to a text, it makes me happy - someone's taking time out of their day to talk to you, which is a great feeling. If I've made something and it's turned out quite nice, brilliant, what an achievement! If I randomly bump into an old friend just in the street, it makes me feel nostalgic for most of the day. If mum and dad have come back from Tesco and bought something new, I'm excited to try it. There's so many if's, and so many more I could think of, but a lot of things will happen during the day that will quickly add up...
It may sound stupid me saying to you that you should get excited and be happy that the sandwich you made was actually really nice, or the TV show you watched was good, but, for me and a few people I've seen talk about it online, it really helps. Taking a second to notice the good things we usually overlook, or even take for granted, can keep you more positive in the long run. We're constantly being told to aim high and think big, but a lot of the time these aren't particularly realistic goals, at least not in a short space of time, which then tend to be demotivating and simply unfair to our mental well-being.
I'd highly suggest trying it, and even if you find it hard at first, and forget the good things, try writing them down and putting them in a jar - you can then go to revisit them at times when you're feeling a bit shit, and it's a constant reminder that it's not all doom and gloom. good things will happen again very soon, and normal service will resume...
Get Involved:
I've planned a lot of this feature over the next couple of weeks, but I'd love some input if anyone has any ideas or suggestions I could expand on. #2 will focus on how your surroundings can affect your happiness, so if you have anything you'd like to contribute please leave a comment or tweet me @robert_pask. Thanks!
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