INPUT ARTICLE: Article: If you don't know any other gay men, the best way to locate your town's gay community is online. Search for gay bars or clubs, upcoming events, or organizations and join any that appeal to your interests. If you live in a small town in Southern Utah, for example, you could search "gay scene in Southern Utah" or "gay bars in Cedar City, UT." Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media sites are all great ways to meet gay guys online. Search "gay" and your city or local area into the social media's search bar to find openly gay users in your area. If you have an Instagram and you're looking for gay men in Idaho, for example, you could search "gay Rexburg Idaho" Online groups are a great way to talk with members online and maybe even arrange to meet. You can limit your search to LGBTQ groups for men in your town or expand it to any online support group for queer men. Search for LGBTQ Facebook groups in your town or province to connect with and meet local gay men. MeetUp is another popular website for making friends with common interests. Check the app for local LGBTQ groups. If your main interest is meeting gay men to date, download a dating app or join a dating site and connect with members who interest you. Even if you're not mutually attracted, you may be able to make a friend and connect with your town's queer community. Popular dating sites or apps for gay men include OK Cupid, Grindr, Jack'd, Tinder, GROWLr, Hornet, Scruff, Surge, and Chappy. Some online and print newspapers also list romantic personal ads. You can post your own ad or respond to gay-friendly ads as an alternative to using dating apps. Chat rooms or forums are a quick way to talk with other gay men and post questions you have about the queer community. Search for chat rooms and forums focused on your province or join a general LGBTQ chat room to find advice about meeting gay men in small towns. If you're under 24 years old, TrevorSpace is a safe, welcoming forum and chatroom for LGBTQ youth. You can find TrevorSpace at https://www.trevorspace.org/.

SUMMARY: Look for LGBTQ groups or clubs online. Use social media to connect with local gay guys. Join online LGBTQ groups. Join an LGBTQ dating app or websites. Join a gay online chat room or forum.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: The human brain is an incredible organ capable of making imaginative leaps, recalling memories, and finding insights at a moment's notice, and you will never control every thought. Try to watch your thoughts come and go without any attachment rather than repressing those you don't want to have. Thinking about ignoring something, paradoxically, never works. Every time you think about not thinking about something, you are of course thinking about it! Take care of your brain by getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night, managing your stress levels, and maintaining a positive outlook on life. Eating healthy foods and exercising regularly promotes good mental health as well as physical. While you should not avoid all of your problems, be aware of the things that move your thoughts in a negative direction and prepare yourself when they arise. Structure your day so that you end on a positive trigger, like creative work, family time, or a good book, allowing you to spend downtime thinking about the things you love. Take a few moments each day to pause and take stock of your life. Be aware of your thoughts during "trigger moments", again forgoing judgment or self-critique. Throughout the ages, meditation has been a vital tool helping people relax and take control of their thoughts. Find time to meditate daily, even if only for 5-10 minutes, especially the days when your thoughts are the most difficult to control. Meditation has even been shown to lead to a healthy heart and body. Reframing your thoughts puts them in context of the world around you, allowing you to better understand them. Consider other perspectives regarding your situation, as well as others' behavior. Work to develop empathy, as this will help you avoid taking things too personally. For example: When someone you love hasn't called in a while, it is likely because they are busy, or stressed, not sick or in danger. Don't obsess about things that you ultimately cannot control -- other people, the weather, the news -- and instead focus on yourself. When you think about things outside of your control, remind yourself that the only person you can control is yourself, and work on that. This does not mean you shouldn't try to impact the world around you -- rather that you will always have the biggest impact on your own thoughts.

SUMMARY:
Do not try to choose your thoughts but control them as they come. Make your thoughts and mental health a priority. Know what events trigger difficult thoughts. Meditate. Reframe your thoughts in a positive or non-intrusive light. Recognize that there are many things you cannot control.