List III: Things that make me happy

This is probably going to be a hideously cheesy post, but sometimes I think it's pretty important to think about things that make you happy- especially if you have a case of the blues.

1. Summer evenings spent with friends

I recently had a barbecue with some of my closest friends on a lovely warm day, and I remembered/realised how bloody lucky I am to have the friends that I do- people who I can talk to about anything and have a great laugh with, and just generally enjoy being around. I think it's important to surround yourself with people like that, and yeah, I'm just generally really lucky!

2. Productive days

I'm rarely happier than I am after having a productive day (same as I'm rarely more irritable and unhappy following an unproductive one), and am a firm believer that keeping active is really important to maintaining a good state of mind.

3. Getting into a good book

I love that point when reading where you find yourself totally lost in a narrative, and growing attached to the characters- it's part of the reason why I'm so drawn to English as a subject and can't wait to study it next year.

4. Being alone in a new place

After my adventures in London the other day, I realised that I really do like being alone in unknown territory. Some people see wanting to be alone as a negative trait, but I think it's important to be able to enjoy your own company (though not to the point where you avoid all society!) and to be able to feel comfortable in new surroundings just wandering around.

5. Giving good advice

Although advice is generally a selfless act, there is always a really nice feeling in knowing you have helped to make someone feel better in a time of need, and it's really lovely being able to be a source of help for someone.

6. Animals

I no longer have any pets, but I had a dog named Georgie for 11 years, and coming home from school to her wagging her tail was always a lovely feeling (even when she was old and smelly). Animals just seem to make things feel better, I love it when my Granny brings her dogs to see us, and whenever there are dogs around at work it's always nice to have a break to fuss them- it really can improve an evening!

7. Live music

I stand by that one of the best nights of my life to date was seeing Foo Fighters supported by Biffy Clyro, Deathcab for Cutie, and Tame Impala at Milton Keynes Bowl. The fact that particular songs- namely Best of You- brought tears to my eyes was wonderful, and I felt so happy in that particular moment. This is one of the reasons I am so looking forward to Reading Festival at the end of this month!

There are many other little things that make me happy too, from listening to an awesome song to eating a really nice cake, and sometimes you just need to sit back and appreciate stuff like that! But yes, that is a small list of things that have the power to make me pretty damn chipper.