Hi there Ella, I've been reading your advice and where the concerns that people had touched on mine, I felt like your advice was practical and useful. So if you don't mind, I have a query I'd like to share:

Everyone around me is always so much happier than I am. I've read that you are a combination of the five people you spend the most time around, at iteration of 'bad association spoil useful habits' so I have surrounded myself with happy, positive, loving people. My family and friends are all super happy and it never rubs off on me. It might even make me more sad. Because they're all happy and laughing and enjoying themselves and I'm not. I sometimes feel like I'm physically incapable of having fun. I don't really love exercise or sports, food doesn't make me happy, I'm not really into movies or tv, and the list goes on. There's some things that I mildly enjoy doing like reading and writing but they seem to just fill time rather than give me the kind of joy I'm looking for.

People say 'just relax' and I think that's actually impossible. I'm sitting over here calculating the odds of you dying while you're swimming in the ocean.

Anyhow, its not that I'm necessarily unhappy. I'm just stagnant and not as happy as everyone else. Is something wrong with me? Can I increase my joy somehow?

Everyone feels/ shows emotions in different ways, and it's important to remember that while other people appear to be happy, they might not be which is why they put on this exaggerated happy facade.

There is nothing wrong with feeling what I refer to as 'slightly numb' in which you just don't really feel any strong emotions. To get out of that state, you really need to find something that brings you happiness. Seeing as you've tried the main things that give people happiness, maybe try some more hobbies that interest you. Maybe you'll find happiness in something really random.

There's also ways to make yourself a more positive person by changing your mentality. If you look at the world with the impression that none of it will make you happy, you'll never be happy. Wake up every morning and try and feel positive, like today will be the day that you laugh the hardest you've ever laughed, and feel the happiest you've ever felt. Forcing yourself to stop being negative can be hard, and it will take time, but eventually you'll find yourself feeling more upbeat and cheerful.