As college students, myself included, we are slowly drowning in midterms and papers and I realize that a lot of people are becoming increasingly unhappy. I know that life gets hard and sometimes seems unbearable but it becomes a lot more fun and way less depressing when one makes an effort to be happy. Many people will tell you that you can't just think your way into being happy, but I believe that happiness is most definitely something you can create. Growing up, I was raised to be happy and that's affected how I look at life and handle the things that it throws at me. Not everyone is raised happy, but luckily, I have some tips on how to live a happier life.

1. Laugh often.

Laughing can help you release stress, calm down, and it's contagious. Making others happy can make life better for you.

2. Laugh at yourself.

Things are going to happen that are embarrassing. It might suck but laughing at yourself makes it easier to pick yourself up and keep going.

3. Remember to smile.

I'm not crazy, I know that we can't all smile all of the time, but we should definitely try to smile more. Smiling can make you feel better. An added bonus of smiling most of the time is that you're almost always ready when your friends try to take ugly pictures of you.

4. Be flexible.

Life isn't always going to go exactly as you plan and that's okay. Keep this in mind.

5. Have a playlist filled with music that makes you happy.

Listening to music you can sing and dance along to will lift your spirits in ways that people can't. I strongly suggest adding Israel Kamakawiwo'ole to your playlist. What's better than a ukulele? That's right, nothing.

6. Hire a therapist.

I don't mean a real therapist. I mean someone who you can count on to be there for you to listen to you complain and to offer you advice (thanks mom). You have to get your emotions out of you or you won't ever be able to achieve the level of happiness you want because you'll be weighed down.

7. Don't take life too seriously.

I know it sounds cliche but sometimes you really do have to remember to just take it easy. This cool-down period is usually a good time to call your "therapist" so they can remind you not to be upset about whatever it is that has happened.

8. Watch your favorite movie/TV show.

Movies and TV shows have their way of allowing us to forget what's going on around us.

9. Go outside.

When I was younger, my mom would prescribe us sunshine. Sunshine is good for you and helps you cheer up naturally. The sun warms you while the fresh air allows you to breathe without feeling cooped up.

10. Don't let what others say/do affect you.

People are always going to judge what you do. They're either going to love you or hate you. Remember that you're more than what people may say about you. Odds are if they're talking about you, it's because they're unhappy with themselves. Life is too short to care what others think about you.

11. Cut the negativity out of your life.

Creating your own happiness means that you need to stay as positive as possible. Sometimes it's obvious when a person is negative and shouldn't be in your life, other times it's more difficult to tell whether or not a person will be good for you. Just remember that if they spend more time making you miserable than they do happy, they're not worth it. This goes for all aspects of your life. There are times when you're just going to have to cut it out.

12. Take plenty of pictures.

It may seem silly and unnecessary to take tons of pictures but you'll thank yourself later when you're able to pull out a picture from a great day and remember the time you had.

13. Don't forget to treat yo' self!

You are the most important person in your life. It's okay to take the time to make sure you have all you need. Don't get bogged down by trying to help everyone around you that you forget yourself. You have to make yourself happy before you can make anyone else happier.

14. If all else fails, have some cute animal pictures/videos available at all times.