How to be happy in five steps

Sorry that I didn't blog on Wednesday. Tuesday night I took time for some reflective writing; these last couple of weeks have been pretty stressful. And then Wednesday I was fishing all day with my some of my favorite people, one who is going to Portugal and others who are moving to Sacramento.  I apologize but after all that I felt a lot better. And so this post is focused around that very thing.

I am not a sickly-optimistic person and I understand that life happens and you at some point are going to feel like crap. BUT you don't just have to feel bad. Feelings are fluid and you can influence how you feel. These are just some tips to get you out of your slump.

1. Sleep is key-- Go on twitter at 1:30 at night and you will see who is having a hard time. This generation loves to stay up late and over think and turn to social media. But guess what? Staying up late may make you feel better temporarily but in the end sleep deprivation will cause you to stay upset. Sleep deprivation is defined as not sleeping long enough, bad quality sleeping or sleeping at the wrong time of day. We justify staying up till 2 AM because we can sleep in the next day, but this is not beneficial. Trying to sleep when it's daylight is really hard and yes we can do it (I have before) but the quality of sleep is lack-luster. And in the end it just leaves you tired, decreasing your alertness, a decrease in performance levels affecting every aspect of your life. BUT GUESS WHAT? Sleep refreshes the mind, allows you to be alert and perform, overall increasing your quality of life. Instead of staying up just because you are turn off your phone, turn off the music, turn off the tv and just go to bed. If you lay in bed for fifteen minutes without moving you will fall asleep and that is a fact. If you can't calm down while lying there the counting sheep thing isn't a myth. Focus on one thing. I focus on my breathing when I can't sleep. And eventually sleep comes. Sleep will help you get back on the road to happiness because it truly refreshes the body and the mind.

2. Find a confidant-- Keeping feelings inside is destructive. We stress out about the scope of our problems and eventually drown in our own sorrows. Talking about what is bothering you helps you to realize what is actually bothering you, see that they aren’t huge problems, and discuss solutions. Find a friend, family member, a god. Just someone to talk to. By conversing about our thoughts and concerns will help you become happy again because you will learn more about how you are feeling and realize that you are not alone.

3. Find out how to calm yourself down—Sometimes we get to the point that we cannot think straight because we are so emotional. Emotions aren’t bad but, thinking when you are too emotional, makes life hard. For me, to calm myself down I take showers, I write, listen to music. Sometimes it is best to take a break and to stop thinking. Jumping from extremely upset to happy is not a realistic jump. Becoming calm is just part of the process to feeling better.

4. Look forward—It’s so important to realize that this will pass. Today does not stay and tomorrow will always come. You don’t have to be happy today but you will be happy again.

5. Get out there tiger—Focus on a new goal. Move on from what is bogging you down. Try a hobby, a sport, or volunteer work. Literally anything. When we are productive we are able to feel better about ourselves because we are able to see our talents and that we can affect the world. The question “why am I important” can be answered. Feeling good about your abilities will help you find happiness again.

Feeling bad isn’t a bad thing. It’s natural. But it doesn’t have to stay forever. 

F