How To Get Happy When You're Sad

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     I am not sad at the moment. I just need inspiration. From wikihow I found these 21 steps to be happy when sad. Hope you'll like it too.

1. Call up a friend or family member to talk about why you're feeling sad. Do this to get something off your chest, or to get your mind off it. The simple act of talking can make a surprising difference if it's with the right person. 

2.  Watch a funny movie, preferably one that you've already seen and liked. You'll remember that time that you were happy watching it, and the familiarity will feel comforting. 

3.  Eat a good meal. Make something different and delicious, something out of the ordinary. Chew slowly, smell the food, and savor every last bite. Be thankful that you even have food to eat. According to one source, about 25,000 people will die on any given day due to hunger or related illness.

4.  Exercise. Go for a walk, a jog, or a bike ride. Play a team sport. Do anything that gets you up and sweating. Exercising will make your body release endorphins, a chemical that lifts your mood and lessens your feeling of pain.

5.  Be spontaneous. Sometimes a consistent and boring routine can make you feel bad. Do something out of the blue without making any rash decisions. Go visit a friend or a museum, surprise your Mom with lunch, or take a weekend trip outside your city or town. 

6.  Paint a picture or mould a sculpture. Express your feelings with color and shapes. Art is a celebration of life, and you are a reason to celebrate. 

7.  Think about good memories. If you've lived through them once, you can definitely have them again. That's the beautiful thing about memories. Just because things may seem bad right now doesn't mean that they'll be that way tomorrow.

8.  Take a shower or a bath. You'll be amazed at how much of a lift taking a shower can give you. 

9.  Get out of the house. The fresh air will be invigorating. Go somewhere with a friend, a family member, or even by yourself. See a movie, shop, go on a picnic, etc. Staying inside can feel like trapping yourself inside the prison of your depression. Don't give yourself an excuse to feel bad. 

10. Listen to music. Resist the temptation to go for the sad music; try listening to energetic, jumpy, soulful, or happy tunes, along with numbers that inspire you or remind you of good times. Music can be and is used as a very effective therapy.. 

11. Have a good cry. Sometimes the sadness stays no matter how hard you force yourself to be happy. Try to let the tears out when you feel like it, and you might feel more relieved of your sad feelings, as if you got them "off your chest". Studies suggest that a majority of people who cry feel better than they did before.

12.  Put your feelings into perspective. Is what you're upset about really as important as you think? Did it seem to heavily affect you than those around you? If you sulk about little problems, like not receiving a perfect grade or spilled milk, then you're going to feel sad a lot more easily. 

13.  Taking a nap might make you feel better. Taking a nice, restful nap can help you feel more creative, get better grades, and relieve more stress, scientists say.

14.  Journal. Each day is a new day, a day to celebrate in writing. Write about how you feel, what your goals are, or even simple musings that you have. The good thing about journals is that they don't have to be read by anyone else. 

15.  Make a list of 100 things that make you happy. It's a challenge, but see if you can do it. Don't think, don't worry about if it's childish or silly, just write it down. 

16.  Before you go to bed, completely clear your mind of everything. This includes school life, grades, friends, family, etc. Dream up your happy place. This will at least leave you falling asleep with a better mood, making your feelings brighter in the morning. 

17.  Take a long walk to calm you down and to relax. Sometimes, it gives you a soothing feeling. Take a deep breath and puff it out. Focus on your breathing while you walk. 

18.  Try relaxing by reading. Lose yourself in another world, or in the past. Books transport us to places we've never been; often, those places are more adventurous and romantic than the places we're currently in.

19.  Laugh and smile. It may be forced at first, but it could trigger a funny memory or cause a real laugh itself. Scientists have figured out that smiling actually makes you happier than you were before.

20. Look at some of your childhood pictures. If a funny one pops up, don't push it away. Savor it. It'll help remind you that life passes by so quickly sometimes. Ask your parents for childhood pictures if you want a lot of them! 

21.  Stick to your routines. Probably you don't feel like doing it but force yourself to do it. You will eventually feel normal, if normal was a feeling you liked. Even if you have lost something/someone, you still have many other things/people that you enjoy. Most of all, you always have yourself.

Be So Happy

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     Why are babies happy? Simply because it is their nature. They have pure mind. They have pure heart. They have pure souls. They have worries too. They are full of fears too. Notice the way they look at strangers? They look with caution and fear. When their mother gets out of the room, they cry. But these things did not hinder them to express happiness. They know that worries and fears have nothing to do with happiness. They know that happiness is their state. They know that love and care are there always at their side. It would be with us, if we will always remember that God is always there to love and care for us. Let us always be happy then, like a child.

     Get Happy!

Just Be Happy

     It's raining outside. The sun has not come out since this morning. There is tropical depression, the TV news says. Nevertheless, I'm still happy. I am because I choose to be. I am happy because I am alive. I am happy because I hear the gentle falling of the rain. I am happy because I know how does it feel to walk in the rain. I am happy because God gives rain. Hope you are to..

     Get Happy!

Live Every Moment

                         

     We live. We die. We come in this world with only God's breath--a gift that keep us alive. When He decides to take it back, nothing can we do but allow Him to take it. The best thing we can do with the limited time we have is to LIVE EVERY MOMENT of it. 

     Get Happy!

Brand New Day

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     God creates new day to give us a fresh start everyday. For the past week I've been battling with depression and frustration. These are due to my high childish expectations. When you are trying to walk with God, He'll walk with you all the way and even allow you to fail, if that is the only way for you to learn. This was what happened to me days ago. After everything has been processed in my brain, and of course, after having given my broken heart to God to be mended, I became alright and back on my feet again.

     I acknowledge everyday as God's gift for me to start anew. There is no use waiting for the 'right' time to start again. Everyday is the right time. Everyday is our time. And everyday is a brand new day.

     Get Happy!

Little Bird

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     I am a little bird which is just learning to fly. Few flaps a day, and I'm off to to go. Then all of a sudden it came to my attention: when I fly lower, nothing notices me; and I am just alright. When I start to soar higher, other birds notice me and say how well I am doing. The funny thing is, I'm always carried away by little appreciation that I easily lose balance and go down thrice  as much faster as I soar. Too much concentration on my abilities perhaps; or my concentration is focused much on what the other birds have to say about me? The latter is nearer to the truth; and a truth that a tiny bird like me must conquer. There is no greater conquest than conquering oneself, as the sages say.

      I'm flying because that is what my life is all about. My ancestors have flown to greatest heights, sans the others who did not. But the process of learning to fly is much, much difficult as I imagine it to be. Sometimes I soar. Other times I fall. Balance is a little key; but focus is the main ingredient. Focus is being in the flow, being in the moment, being in IT. Actually, I'm not learning to fly because I don't know how to do it; I'm just re-membering how is it to fly; for flying is already in my deep consciousness. It is the flesh and bone of everything that my ancestors have left me.

Get Happy!

Life's Storm

     Sometimes it starts from droplets; then slowly comes heavier, and heavier, and heavier; until it pours heavily. Sometimes too, it just comes unexpectedly amidst a fairly beautiful weather. But oftentimes it starts with dark clouds, strong winds and large drops. Sometimes, it's expected. Sometimes it's not. Yes, I'm talking about rain and storm. This is the way how it comes. At times we are prepared. Other times we are not. 

     This is also the way how I describe depression. It's a time when the clouds cover the sky, cold winds kiss our skin and threaten our emotions that tomorrow might still be dark and bleak again. Sometimes in its strongest hit, we would lost everything: faith, hope, peace and sometimes love. Just like when there are storms, during depression we close our doors and windows. We keep them shut. We love to look outside through closed windows. We are left alone. We do not hear anything, except the tempests outside and our heavy breathing. Full of fears we cry. If tears would flow, we are lucky. In our devastation we thought this would be the end. If we are strong enough, there is nothing left to do than pray.

     Without our knowing the sun starts to shine. When we are through with the talking and grudging inside of us, we slowly hear the calmness outside. Holding our breath we slowly open the window, and take a peek at what's going on outside. We are relieved to know that the storm has passed; that everything returns to its usual business again.

      Actually, in depression the world is very much okay. It hardly notices our predicament. It does not know what we've been through. Sometimes, painfully it doesn't seem to care. But this is just how life comes naturally. If the world would be affected by every pain that we feel, what a topsy-turvy world we would have; for every human being has his own share of pain. Our all-knowing God prevents the world from knowing our pain that we would come only to Him for relief. When our loving God heals us from our temporary (yes, temporary. We would always experience pain in order for us to grow) pain and depression, we would come to the realization that, 'hey the world is alright. I thought it's some kind of a monster. I'm wrong.' 

     Depression is normal in my life. I've lived with it and have grown much stronger because of it. I consider it as stepping stone in my growth. I do not invite it to come in my life. But when it comes, my Heavenly Father always teach me different lessons when it goes. The last time it came, He was teaching me to love those who have repeatedly injure me--the hardest lesson I have to learn and is still learning so far. 

     Depression is just temporary as are storms and rain. But the lessons it bring is everlasting.

     Get Happy!