Hello everybody! It's been a long while since I've written a blog, so I've decided to take a leap towards it.

This blog is about how to become happier, step by step!

So no more dilly-dallying, let's begin!

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I'm a person of many different things. I'm a peaceful person, I consider myself kind to most, and I consider myself intelligent as well. For a few years, however, I thought of myself way differently for a long time (About two years)! At that time, I considered myself worthless, pathetic, a disgrace, ugly, terrible, mean, etc, etc. It even got to the point where I attempted to end my life, and was hospitalized. I'm here to tell you however, it gets better!

Your first thoughts to this might be, "Well, everybody says that, but it doesn't seem to be getting any better!" The sad truth is, for some people, it really doesn't for a while. There's reasons why everybody feels this way, however. I think, at least for me, is that sometimes people don't put in 130% of that effort into the cause of them becoming happier (I was definitely a victim of this). And for most that are depressed, or sad, it's really hard to put in that effort! Maybe they don't have the energy, are too self-concious to go out in public, feel too depressed to physically do anything, and maybe even feel exhausted or too tired. 

I know how all of that feels! It's hard to overcome those emotions/feelings, but it's definitely possible! That's what this whole blog is about, those steps to help you be a happier person, because that's all that matters! Your happiness! 

One step is: Put out a positive, happy vibe.
This can be really difficult, depending on the person. The main idea is to basically 'act' happy. This sounds pretty negative, because acting as someone seems really fake, but trust me, the more you act happy, it will become more routine for you, so there's a chance that you will become more routine to the happy act, and your personality will be happier slowly but surely, and the real you comes out! The positive effect of this is that if you put out a happier vibe, more people will act happier and kinder towards you. This doesn't mean EVERYONE will be nicer towards you, but a noticeable amount of people will change their moods/attitudes toward you. The disadvantage of this however, is that it can put a bad feeling on some people, making them having a continuous feeling of being 'fake' and it will make them feel bad about themselves. Only attempt this step if you are sure that you can act for a bit, but keep in mind that goal: your happiness!

Step two is: Talk to people about it.
I, personally, would consider this the hardest step of all. Talking to people about your personal problems or struggles can be extremely difficult! For that reason, I strongly reccomend talking with a school counselor, parents, very very close friends you can trust, or an appointed doctor or counselor. Talking with friends is probably the most difficult or riskyl You might have a fear that they will backstab or lie about keeping your secrets, well, a secret. I suggest talking to parents, there's a good chance they care about your feelings and want to help you. This can be scary as well, because maybe you don't want to go to a counselor, but they send you to one anyway. Just clarify with them and express all your feelings. Bottling them (your feelings) up is a terrible decision and makes you feel worse every day. Counselors are an excellent option, even though they might have a bad reputation with the people you know or talk to. They're licensed in listening to what you have to say and helping you through your struggles. Even though many people don't like them, they can work wonders, so please give them a try, who knows, even one appointment can change your moods for the better completely! And plus, they are legally binded to privacy, they cannot tell anyone what your conversation was about to anyone without your consent. Overall, just talk to somebody that you can trust about your struggles. It will guarantee some form of happiness, because it's a real pain having to trap all your feelings inside you.

Step three is: Find a hobby/event/sport.
This step works great, no matter who you are. Finding a hobby takes your mind off of well, everything! It's really hard to find a hobby that suits you, but you can use this to your advantage! Try many, many hobbies until you find one that you thouroughly enjoy. The reason you should try so many is because every time you try a hobby, like that hobby or not, your mind is usually focused on each of those hobbies, taking your mind off of those bad thoughts running back and forth through your head. The hobby I found particularly interesting was trading card games. It gives my mind a challenge playing against other people, and provides me enjoyment by trading cards with other people. A popular hobby that people enjoy is video games, which is definitely a great option. Sports are probably the best choice, as you have a distraction, and you're getting health benefits too. Even if you are tired or exhausted, it's good to get out of bed and try new things, and it makes people happy. Don't be discouraged if you try a hobby you don't like, it's very rare to find the perfect activity that you enjoy on the first try. Just get out there, meet new people, and find something you love doing!

Step four is: Be social.
Being social can be really hard depending on the person, maybe the person is extremely anti-social or is extremely shy or anxietic around people. It's time to do your best to overcome this! Talk to people, try to see what their interests are, maybe they have a similar interest as you! Also remember to smile! This makes people feel welcomed and usually, smiles are contagious! So by doing something as simple as smiling can make you and another person happy! Two-in-one! Start small though, it can definitely be overwhelming trying to talk to a large crowd at school, or another place you frequently visit. Try to talk to people that hang out by themselves, or with a very small circle of friends. This way it makes it easier for you to feel more comfortable and not as overwhelmed. Try to especially talk to people that seem like they have not many or no friends, it could make their entire day knowing that they can make a new friend. Who knows? Maybe that person will be your best friend for your entire life! You don't know unless you try, so let's go and meet new people! If you're a really shy person in nature, don't worry! You can do this! I believe in you!

Step five is: Keep a journal.
This step might seem ridiculous or childish to some, but it can be extremely effective to others. If you decide not to express your feelings to anyone, keeping a journal is a great way to express your feelings too! A journal is like a silent friend, it doesn't judge you, doesn't lie to you, keeps all your secrets forever, and helps you get your anger, sorrow, pain, and whatever feelings you hold out of your body and onto paper, where it lies. Make sure to write down feelings of happiness too! So if you're feeling down, you can just open up your handy journal, read those happy memories, and cheer yourself up a bit! Journals were really effective with me because it helped release whatever feeling I was experiencing and return me to a neutral mood.

Step six is: Draw/make/paint something.
This step is personally my favorite, and actually helped me a lot through my personal problems. It's really a fantastic way to express yourself! For example, drawing, for me at least, lets all the anger or sadness go straight to the pencil and then I draw what my brain creates. It takes my mind off a lot of things, and I find it spectacular that you can create images in your head and create those things. The same thing applies to say, clay-structure making or making trinkets or even just bead bracelets. These allow you to express your artistic creativity and imagination and it takes your mind off things that you could be struggling with. If you mess up or don't like your drawing/creation, don't be discouraged! All famous or talented artists always messed up or started with simple, primitive drawings/crafts! Let that be encouragement! This means that if you mess up and keep trying, you could be a famous artist someday! Keep a bright future in mind and keep moving foward!

Step seven is: Experience nature.
This step is a really fun one to do! Experiencing nature is probably the best way to take your mind off something, and enjoy doing it! You can travel anywhere really, you can take extremes and travel all over the state/world, or even just hang out in some local woods! Nature truly is beautiful, and it's great to breathe some fresh air and bask in the sounds of the birds and other critters. If you are traveling the world/state, make sure to get outdoors as much as possible and maximize your experience! I love nature myself, and I don't travel long distances very often, but I find just walking until I find a small forest or some woods and hanging out in them is just as fun! If you want to, bring a drawing pad and some pencils and draw some scenery! Bring some friends and invent some games! Write in your journal! There's so many things you can do with and in nature, so why not experience it? Have fun, breathe some fresh air, and enjoy nature!

(NEW) Step eight is: Listen to music.
My number one, all time favorite step. I love, love, LOVE music! It provides an escape for me when I need to avoid a lot of struggles or stress that I have in the real world. Granted, this step might not be a very effective method for some people, but it definitely helps a little bit. What I tend to listen to when I'm feeling sad or depressed is electronic music (EDM). The music is upbeat and happy, and I don't think about what's making me sad anymore! When I feel angry, I tend to listen to metal bands such as Beartooth. The loud music tends to relax me in a way, because the music does the screaming for me, I guess. Anyways, if you do this step, which is probably the simplest one, make sure to relax and just listen. I'll reccomend some EDM and metal artists for you guys to listen to, if you like those genres:

Metal/Rock:
Beartooth
Metallica
Disturbed
Escape the Fate
Amity Affliction
The Ongoing Concept
Demon Hunter
Panic! At the Disco (I know this isn't metal, but they are a fantastic band nevertheless :D)
Black Sabbath
Guns n' Roses
All Time Low (Not metal, but a very great band C:)

EDM
EH!DE
Razihel
Spag Heddy
Teminite
Panda Eyes
Kick the Habit
Barely Alive
OmegaMode
Virtual Riot
Bone N Skin
DatPhoria
Krewella
DEAF KEV
Tisoki
Aero Chord
Condukta
Alpha Noize

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The following artists/bands were contributed by Sparki Wolf. Thank you!

Relaxing Music Artists
Eluvium (also has very interesting album art :P )
Balmorhea 
Sleep.makes.waves 
Michele Mclaughlin
Stefano Guzzetti (very piano heavy)
Danny Norbury
C418 (the minecraft music!)

Less Relaxing Instrumental (but still awesome)
Blackmill
Ceekayed
Direct/Monstercat (pretty much 75% of thier songs are instrumental anyway O_O)
Mogwai

Unique Music (mainly soundtracks)
The Song Of The Sea has a very unique and interesting soundtrack.
Along with the soundtrack of Earth To Echo
Portal 2 soundtrack...IDK...It's cool...

Now for some actual song artists:
Little People
The Paper Kites (not instrumental...one of the only non-instrumental groups I listen to @_@ but has very relaxing music with sweet songs :3)
Glowworm

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That's all I have for now!

I want to make this blog reach out and help as many people as possible, so if you want to help others and have a step that you want in this blog, PM me naming the step, advantages and disadvantages of that step. I will put your username next to the step to credit you.

If you are struggling with depression, anxiety, or anything that impacts your mood or feelings, and want to talk to me, just PM me, I'd love to help!

Always remember that someone out there loves and cares for you, even if you think otherwise, someone does, trust me.

I hope all of you reading this have an absolutely wonderful day/night!

-Rix <3

Additional note, thank you for pop reel! :D