7 Things that Make me Happy

I’ve had quite a few posts and videos recently exploring the rough time I’ve had mentally… Exams and the overall unexpected busy nature of this year took a toll on me and I went into a rapid mental decline.  However, through all the low moments, when I was stuck crying in my bed thinking that nothing was right, there were always high points… I just wasn’t able to see them.

So, I thought that now that I have a little more retrospect, I’d list a few things in my life that make me happy.  This is partly so that I can refer back to them during my next bad spell, and also because I believe that you can never give things too much appreciation, so why not take a moment to step back and appreciate the things going well for you, even if they’re really little?

Here goes nothing…

1) My mum, dad and sister

Being at University for half the year really makes you appreciate how much your family means to you.  I’m aware of how lucky I am to have a super close relationship with my family, and my parent’s have worked to give me the best possible life they could.  They are nothing but supportive, and every little argument or annoyance seems like nothing, because I know that it’s always going to end with us making up.  They honestly mean the world to me, and I consider myself so lucky to have them.

2) My killer group of friends

They always tell you that you shouldn’t be in a big friendship group because it will never work out well.  However, I somehow ended sixth form in a group of 11 friends, and I couldn’t thank them enough.  4 years on from meeting we’re stronger than ever, to the point where we’re simply comfortable with each other… There is no question of if we’ll next meet and there is no pressure to continue a conversation, it all just happens naturally.  Until this point I’d never had a group of friends that I felt so easy, free of judgement and shrouded in support in, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

3) This blog

Yes, sometimes it feels like a massive flaw, and sometimes it feels like something I’ve failed at (Post on that here).  However, no matter what happens, I’m still so incredibly proud of it, and I do not know what this last year would have been like without it.  It’s genuinely transformed my life, both in terms of the events that occur, and in terms of the confidence I’ve gained from it.  I’ve actually learnt to be proud of myself – something I could barely do before, and I’ve been able to grow a passion of mine… It’s amazing how much it’s changed me.

4) My hair

My hair has gone through so much trauma since I was about 12 and I’ve been working to build it back to an acceptable standard ever since.  However, I think I’m finally at a point where I’m genuinely happy with it… It sounds shallow and frivolous, but honestly I thought I’d hate my hair forever, and being at a place where it’s growing healthily and I actually enjoy styling it is so foreign to me.

5) People taking notice of me

I kind of touched on this in last Monday’s post, but even though I have all this new found self-confidence and worth, it’s still great to feel appreciated.  I love when people tell me how much I mean to them out of the blue, or congratulate me on my progress, or simply thank me for being there for them… I’ve literally had 1 sentence from friends uplift my whole mood for the day.  It’s lovely knowing that people see what you do and take notice, and so I try to do the same for others, congratulating them on big things as well as the small.

6) Lying in bed with Netflix

After countless spells of not being able to leave my bed due to bad mental health, it’s hard not to associate my bed with all that sadness… However, every so often I once again remember that my bed is actually a cosy little haven full of warmth and comfort.  Which, if I’m honest, is probably why I flock to it in times of distress in the first place.

7) Musical theatre

I wrote in my Miss Saigon Review how much I grew up loving musical theatre, and now that I’ve started being invited to press nights I’ve been able to enjoy so many more productions that I couldn’t otherwise afford.  Going back to the theatre I’ve realised that you really can’t beat the feeling of immersion, and it’s one of the best forms of escapism for me.  I currently have 6 theatre trips lined up from now til next March (2 are the same production at different times… but we’ll ignore that).  So I’m very excited to keep experiencing things and hopefully keep providing theatre reviews.

And there you go, 7 things that make me happy at the moment.  This is not to say that they’re the only things that make me happy – because happiness can’t really be restricted.  However, they’re the 7 main ones I could think of.  To some this may have seemed like a fluff piece, but I feel like it’s so important to bring yourself back to the happiness because it’s easy to get tied up in the negative.

Let me know if you liked this, and tell me something that makes you happy in the comments!

Lots of love,

Jas xx

BLOGLOVIN’ |  TWITTER  |  INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE