With my newly reclaimed happiness, I have gotten many questions from my peers asking-- How did you do it? What do you do to stay at peace? Where do you put your energy to calm yourself down? After officially being detached from my five year long (some would say toxic) relationship and hitting rock bottom after deciding I did not want to go to college in California anymore, I struggled with keeping myself happy and functioning in the real world. I cried everyday and could not understand how if he didn't want me, how I could want myself? I also cried because I could not understand why I couldn't adapt to college like my fellow freshman. I struggled with waking up everyday and having the energy to act like I wasn't drowning inside.

It was well known I went a little crazy after the break up -- I was diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression. I struggled/still struggle with my own demons; however, I have learned better places to put my energy. Not only to distract myself from the negative thoughts, but to further grow as an individual. I took advice from my loved ones and specialists, who taught how to release my negative energy-- instead of harping on the unfixable.

What follows are the places I have put my energy to further grow as an individual. If you're going through a growing stage and feel a little lost at times. If some days are really good and some days are really bad, if you need some advice from someone who once thought she was never going to get through it, if you want to be in touch with yourself internally, be at peace and happy on your own-- here are five good places to put your energy.

1. Write

Whether it be in a journal, on random pieces paper, on an online blog, or a platform like Odyssey -- I put a lot of my success at being a happier person, in the fact I don't keep anything bottled up inside. Before I start my blog and before I started writing for The Odyssey, I would write in my journal. Whenever I felt aggression toward a particular event in the day, I would explain the event in my journal and then further elaborate on why I was upset. By not keeping even the smallest of negative energy bottled inside and letting it out, I did not realize it automatically but I was further able to simply feel the negative energy and then simply release -- even without a journal.

When I was having a terrible time adjusting to life as a college freshman in San Diego, I took out my aggression by writing an online blog. I got so many questions, my parents got so many questions -- Why isn't she liking college? I started writing on a blog for everyone to be able to read to not have to keep explaining myself over and over again. By not having to keep reliving the same events and being able to release the negative energy, I was able to focus on more important things-- like school, building friendships, and being OK with the fact I just wanted to lay in my bed all day.

2. Exercise

I came home from California for Winter Break, and everyone's first reaction after not seeing me in six months was "you've lost so much weight!" Before I left for school I was 130 pounds and I returned home being 115 pounds. No I wasn't starving myself or throwing up my meals after eating them, I just exercised. I made a schedule -- I planned out when I would go to the gym, either after or before class. I took the hour I ran on the treadmill or the elliptical to only focus on that. I would watch videos on YouTube and let my energy consumed in ONLY running and working out. And when I was drenched in sweat afterwards, I knew I released some really good stuff.

3. Help friends

My friends and family deserve a million bucks for helping me as much as they did. They reminded me my worth, gave me these tips for me to be able to share them with you, and never hesitated to remind me they were right there to help me. I made a promise to myself to return the favor as soon as I was even the smallest bit better. I made sure I told EVERYONE I loved them. You randomly texted me? I had to express my gratitude. You called me everyday? I made sure to leave every phone call with an "I love you." Sooner or later, I was able to start returning the favor. Every person I spoke too, I made sure they knew I would always be there for them. Slowly and steadily, people start coming to me in need of advice. From how to distract themselves from their ending relationship to how to except the fact the world is so big -- I tried my best to put my energy toward helping the people I love. Every time I got someone feeling better about something, I could feel the happiness and accomplishment run through my veins.

4. Listen to guided meditations

When I first started coming to terms with the fact I was depressed, I realized how hard it was for me to sleep. I would be struck with random insomnia every night and I woke up every morning at the crack of dawn -- to be instantly struck with the worst anxiety. All of that changed when I started listen to guided meditations. My Aunt recommended I used the app "Insight Timer," which can be found in the Apple app store. From meditations specifically for getting you to sleep to ones just guiding you to breathe -- to this day, I can't go to bed without using them.

Not only have these meditations improved my sleep schedule, but they have improved my mental stability. By becoming more in tune with the way I breathe and learning better techniques to calming myself down, I have been a stronger person. I have regained the power to calm myself down, instead of leaning on the shoulders of another person to say the right thing.

5. Listen to music

Maybe I had been depressed for longer than I was willing to admit. As silly as it sounds, I couldn't even listen to music. I was easily annoyed by the pop hits on the radio and the old sounds my Dad would play during dinner. I would just say "I like silence better." I spent car rides to and from school in silence and would've rather listened and harped on my negative thoughts, then let music take me away.

Then one day, an old friend from high school suggested I listen to "aint loyal" on Sound Cloud by MR-CAR/\\ACK. He told me the all instrumental mix reminded him of me-- sad, but beautiful. From then on I gravitated toward independent artists who released their content on sound cloud. I slowly fell back in love with music. The beat's ability to make me rock out and a good chorus' ability to make me sing on the top of my lungs. I smiled way more often after that.

I must write a disclaimer that these tips helped me, and they're on a few suggestions on the good places you could put your energy. For example, instead of putting your energy toward crying and harping on the unfixable.

Anything is possible! Just because you feel like your drowning in the inevitability of an unfulfilling life right now, doesn't mean tomorrow you won't be exactly certain of what you're going to do for the rest of your life. It takes internal and external happiness, working together, to be a more optimistic person. Don't be afraid to start!