How to Feel Happy When Depressed

Depression can happen to anyone and many factors influence it. Illness, death, conflict or a major traumatic event can trigger a depressive episode in a person who has never displayed sadness before. Learning how to find happiness within a depressive episode can be challenging, but with help and support you can sort through your feelings and happiness can prevail.

Things You'll Need

• Mirror
• Paper or notebook
• Pen

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Instructions

• 1

  Write down all your reasons to be happy.

  Write down (either by yourself or with the help of family or a trained professional) all the positive aspects of your life. Think about happy people involved in your life, vacations you enjoyed, friends you have spent pleasurable times with or your family, children and pets.

  Create another list of specific attributes you like about yourself. Write down positive physical, emotional and spiritual qualities you feel are strong or would like to make prominent in your life.

• 2

  Find quiet time each day to assess your life situation. Set aside 10 to 15 minutes, either in the morning, afternoon, or evening, to think about the positive situations and people you have in your life. Read the list of happy events and people to yourself, aloud so you can hear the words being spoken. It is important for you, and not someone else, to read the list, to help strengthen the belief that these words are true.

• 3

  Look into the mirror and see a happy person.

  Sit down in front of a mirror. Review the positive traits your wrote about yourself in the notebook and read them to yourself. Look yourself in the eyes when you repeat the positive qualities you have identified within yourself.

  Pointing out your attributes, particularly when you are feeling down, can help to boost your mood and self-esteem. According to Psych Central, low self-esteem is linked to depression and anxiety. Hearing your positive attributes (and believing them) can alleviate depressive symptoms.

• 4

  Lean on friends and family to help fight your depression.

  Join a support group or find people to be around when depressive symptoms strike. Surround yourself with positive influences or talk with people suffering from depression as well. Hearing another person's story of survival can be a motivating influence in your own life. Family and close friends can lift your spirits and help you re-evaluate your situation when times get tough.

• 5

  Sunflower seeds flood your brain with serotonin.

  Have a mood-boosting snack. A low-fat, low-protein and high carbohydrate snack has the ability to boost your mood by allowing tryptophan to enter your brain. Tryptophan converts to serotonin, and serotonin increases happy feelings within your brain. Try eating some whole-wheat bread with strawberry jam, a banana or some sunflower seeds when you feel down to boost you right back up.