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I’ve realised recently that especially on not-so-good days, I find myself stressing and hyper-focusing on everything that has gone wrong that day.

My mind is so occupied worrying about a particular embarrassing event or worrying about the future, that I forget to smile and appreciate the good moments. ‘Time is of the essence’ people say, but it is so true! You only live every day once, so I have made it my goal to appreciate life even just a little more, and maybe you can too. There are so many happy and positive occurrences each day, you just need to find them! For this article, I decided to compile a list of things that have made me smile or made my day just a little bit better recently.

• Music: Music has the ability to completely change my mood. I could be crying one minute, start playing Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift, and be dancing and singing around my room the next! I have a Spotify playlist called 'Serotonin', which is a collection of all my favourite happy and upbeat songs that can instantly put me in a good mood. I suggest making one of your own!

• The sky: The sky, clouds, and the stars, are some of my favourite things! Just thinking about how the Earth's atmosphere can create such beautiful pictures is incredible. I think 90% of my camera roll is probably pictures of the sky. Oops.

• Comfort food: Whenever I'm not feeling the best or not being as productive as I should be, I treat myself with one of my favourite foods. This always puts me in a better mood and gives me the energy to continue being productive.

• Animals: Whether it’s spending time with my dogs after a long day at uni or work, or hearing birds chirping while walking through campus, animals can instantly change my mood as well.

• Rain: Unlike some people, I love the rain! Reading inside with a cozy blanket and hearing the raindrops on the window outside is one of my favourite things. Even if you don't like the rain, look out for sunny days if they make you happy instead.

Hopefully, this list made you realise that there are so many things worth living for, and these positives should way outshine the negatives. It’s okay to have bad days occasionally, but just remember that you’ve gotten through bad days before, so you can do it again. Try to not let one rude person or event that was out of your control ruin the rest of the day. I hope you have an amazing rest of your day, and try to make the most of it. You got this!