Last night was a good night. Last night is the kind of night that helps to keep my mind at ease. The crowd, the beer, the band, the lights, the bass pulsing through my chest, the camaraderie and the new friends. Music brings individuals happiness. Live music brings people together to share in their happiness and I love it.

I’ve said it before and will always remind people that I love music whether it’s listening, playing or attending music things. The reason I talk about it so much? Because it makes me happy. No matter how angry, sad, lonely I feel music always helps make me feel better. It ensures my mental well-being.

It’s not just music that does this for me though. The people and things that I love will always ensure my well-being. When I feel at my lowest, when my depression hits me the hardest there are a few things I turn to. The first is usually music and alongside that a nice dose of fantasy be it in the form of videogames, books, tv, film, comics. The two combined take me away from my thoughts for a little while and give me some breathing room. Following that, I talk to my friends. They bring me back to reality but it’s not the “reality” that I saw before. It’s one that reminds me that I’m lucky to be where I am with the people I have in my life rather than a hopeless one.

The final thing in my arsenal of well-being is to do things for others. Nothing makes me feel better than helping someone. The smile that you see on their face when you’ve done something for them that they really needed. Cheering someone up when they’re feeling down. Most of what I do is about making things better for people whether it’s the mood of an individual or society as a whole.

So what’s the message I hear you ask? Well, it’s simple really. Find the things that you love. Do those things. Find your version of my chest pulsing music, my ukulele, my fantasy worlds, my supportive friends and my gifts to others. If you don’t know what your equivalents are, don’t worry. The best way to find out is to just do things. Simple as.

Anyway, to sign off, here’s a little dose of my happy to you.