Things to Cheer Someone Up

Most friendships go through some periods of time where there is hurt and sadness, either shared by both people or in just one friend's life. If your friend is becoming sad or depressed, you may end up playing a role in his emotional support until he is happy. There are various ways you can help him to feel comforted and cheer him up, leaving him feeling comforted with a sense of appreciation toward your friendship.

Talking

• Talking is very therapeutic to many people, even if only talking to friends and family members. If someone who you know is feeling down, asking them if they want to talk can help them to feel a sense of support. Once your friend opens up to you, just listening and providing a shoulder for her to lean on can help her to feel better more quickly than she would have if left to work through her problems on her own. Talking with a professional therapist or counselor is also a method that helps many people reduce stress in their lives on a regular basis.

Going Out

• Going out provides a way to temporarily forget about problems and have a good time. If your friend is upset and spending a lot of time isolated, it can help to convince him to go out somewhere he used to enjoy visiting. Even going to the movies or on a hike can get a person out of a sad place emotionally, long enough for him to feel a bit happier and better able to cope with his sadness.

Laughter

• Laughter is a known method of dealing with sad feelings such as depression. Using comedy as a therapy can be very helpful for you and your sad friend. You will be able to forget about sadness while laughing, and enjoying the experience together can bring you closer to one another. If you have a good sense of humor, use it to your advantage by making jokes to cheer your friend up. If you're not so confident in your sense of humor, take your friend to a funny movie or comedy club so that she is able to laugh, if even for one evening.

Proper Self-Care

• When someone is feeling sad, there is a tendency to stop taking proper care of personal needs. Sometimes, during a sadness, one of the easier coping techniques is to do something good for yourself. For a friend, you can help them by cooking them a homemade meal or giving them a reason to get showered and dressed up nicely. This change in routine can provide an immediate sense of happiness or relief. If you've noticed that a depressed friend is not taking proper care of himself, take him out to dinner at a nice restaurant so that he has to shower and wear nice clothes. You may notice his mood improves shortly after resuming his grooming habits as normal.

Time

• Sometimes, the only true method of getting over sadness is time. This is especially true if your friend has just experienced a death in the family or a breakup. While you can help her to laugh more and go out more often, she may remain sad until enough time has passed for her to let go of the loss. If this is the case, respect her needs and wishes while still providing a shoulder to cry on and an open ear. You cannot rush your friend through grieving and moving on.