Golden Rules of Happiness.

Ten Golden Rules of Happiness.

This is my rough guide of what makes me happy, you may find it useful reading it, I know I found it useful writing it.

1. Be whoever the fuck you want. Life is short, you can't live it carefully and not enjoy every minute. I'm a slightly neurotic, loving, anxious, tiny and crazy whirlwind of a human being, and its taken me a long time to accept myself but I'm getting there. Glue your pieces back together, dust yourself off and keep going. You're worth it. You wanna be an astronaut? Do it. You wanna be a teacher? An actress? Anything, you can do it.

2. Do the things that make you happy. If you like lying in bed all day binge watching Netflix, do it! If you like going for runs along the beach at dawn, do it! If you like spending all your money on make up and living on super noodles, DO THAT SHIT. Don't let anyone tell you you're wrong, okay?

3. Exercise, okay? It's important. Exercise is super important to your wellbeing, you're probably sitting thinking "ffs shut up Amie" but it's true. Yoga is something that I've massively fallen in love with recently, but just find your niche, whether it's cycling or swimming or what, exercise releases endorphins that make your heart happy and your body healthy. Do your squats girls and make the boys cry.

4. Don't lower your standards. Do NOT let anyone make you feel like you expect too much, unless you're expecting some sort of Disney Fairytale cos then you may need to slightly reassess but otherwise, fuck them. You are BEAUTIFUL, do you hear me? Inside is where the beauty lies, in your soul and your mind and your heart. In the words of "My Favourite Murder" fuck politeness, you've been created from the stars and the matter of the universe, you deserves to be blindingly happy okay?

5. Ask for help when you need it. You might be reading this thinking "oh god she's a crazy person", well you'd be correct. It's okay to be a bit weird, a bit different. What isn't okay, is settling for less than you deserve just because you're too scared to ask someone to give you a helping hand. This rule is relevant in all aspects of your life, not just to do with work, school or your mental health. I know I talk about mental health a lot, but if you feel like you're struggling get help, its not a sign of weakness, its a sign that you've been staying strong too long. Take care of yourself.

6. Embrace what makes you different. My entire life, I've always been shorter than other people my age. When I was younger it really used to upset me, a lot. As I grew up I started to be less bothered about my height, and more concerned that I wasn't as pretty as my best friends. Then I started to hate my freckles, with a passion. I've always had a lot of things that I hated about myself, but now? I'm aware that these things make me who I am. I love my freckles, I love being short and I love that I'm quirky and a bit strange. I love that I know more about football and Star Wars than most of the guys I go on dates with, I love that I can recite the script to every disney film going and most of all I love that I'm different.

7. Spend time around those who love you. Being human can be lonely if you're not surrounded by people who understand you, and some of us are more difficult to understand than others.. like me. Through the years I've been friends with a lot of different types of people, and I've gradually found the friends that I've been waiting my life for. People will walk into your life, and take advantage of their position in it. People will put you down when they feel bad about themselves, they'll use you for their own gain. You just have to work out who is worth helping and who is worth keeping. Family can be difficult, and hard work, but keep trying with them, work towards togetherness and unity.

8. Don't be scared to love again. You've been broken, haven't you? Into tiny pieces probably, I know I have been. The prospect of new love and new relationships are terrifying, of course they are. Especially when things don't exactly go to plan. But please, I beg you, don't let the fear of being hurt stop you from loving again. Those pieces you were broken into, you can fix them back together, and even though there might be cracks that still show.. that's where the light will shine through, and it'll be beautiful. So trust yourself, trust you heart and keep your chin up.

9. Try to see yourself how others see you. Ask your friends why they love you, and actually listen to their answers. Ask your partner why he/she fell for you, and embrace their reasons. Realise that your brain will often lie to you and tell you you're not good enough, but there is a beauty about you that is worthy of the time and care of others. See yourself through someone elses eyes, and try to build your worth from the inside out.

10. My Happiness List - write a list of what makes your heart happy. the sound of rain. the sound of my best friends laughing. other peoples happiness. reese's peanut butter cups. cute morning text messages. colouring in. looking at holidays. drinking diet coke. my online support group. compliments. binge watching TV series. reading new books. pizza (lots of it). cocktails.