What's a good way to improve mood or cheer up when depressed or lonely?

Question

I have been suffering from what seems to be depression for several months and it has gotten worse since the break-up of a long term relationship. I moved back home to an apt. by myself and do not have very many friends, but hoping to make some at the college I transferred to.
So now I am looking for advice or suggestions on how to cheer up and get myself out of this depressed state. I started exercising and made an appointment to see a psychiatrist, which is still a few weeks away.
In the mean time, what are some ways that all of you make yourselves feel better when you are depressed/lonely?
I would appreciate any helpful suggestions or feedback, thanks.

Answer 1

I'm glad to see that you have taken some steps to attack the problem. Depresion can be difficult to live with. Exercise is a great way to get yourself going again emotionally. It gets rid of a lot of stress. Getting out among people, not even necessarily with your friends but just getting out of the house for awhile often helps. It's very important not to spend long hours alone, thinking about your situation. Go for walks and play your favourite music on a portable cd/mp3 player. Relaxation tapes help, the ones with the continuous waterfall or forest sounds are great, especially just before sleeping. Helps you drift right off, no problem. When you complete something you had to do but found difficult (for me, the laundry), reward yourself with something small, maybe a dollar store item, a chocolate bar or your favourite gum. Goals sometimes help; even small ones can return your sense of being in control of your life again. Take up painting, writing or guitar if you're artistically inclined. Playing music can be a wonderful release of negative emotion. Smell the flowers, try to see the beauty in nature. Surround yourself with people who really enjoy life.

I wish I could be with you to try to do something to make a difference.

Answer 2

I like to get in the car and go to one of my favorite different cities in the area, especially where I know I will rarely see any locals there. Then, spend the day doing whatever the spur of the moment brings on.
For example, go to a bookstore and find a good book to dream with for a while, smell the coffee in the cafe and maybe have some!
Go to the mall and stroll around for a while. Go to that little restaurant that I been putting off what seems like forever and have that favorite meal (don't indulge), have a drink with it if you like.
Just kinda use your imagination like you did when you were a kid to have FUN. We all seem to forget how as we move into adulthood and become caught up in everyday activities.
Make time for #1 (yourself) a little more often, plan a getaway for a weekend for example. I find this very refreshing.
Stay active. That helps a person to keep there mind off of empty worthless thoughts. Do things YOU like to do.
Rearrange your living quarters. This helps renew how a place "feels" especially with winter coming on and cabin fever becomes an issue at times. Play music YOU enjoy, probably one of my best getaways. DO things that don't cost money, but fun, little things can go a long way in a time of need.
Work on a hobby that you may have. Start a new one.
Far as visiting a psychiatrist, I would avoid that dude. Some of those people are truly nuts, and all they will do IS TAKE YOUR MONEY, and GOD FORBID get you on some prescription drug YOU DON'T NEED. The answer IS NOT IN PILL FORM.
I understand the long term relationship thing ending, OH how they rip out ones heart strings. Be assured, life goes on. Push forward, time heals the wounds. LEARN from your mistakes and others. DON'T repeat the same mistakes (get in a rut).
That someone special will come along again, hopefully even better. Take your time, I take it you are female and there are plenty of fish in the sea. Don't take on more than you feel you can handle until you sense the wounds healing better and a spirit of renewal taking hold in your life. I guess rebound would be a good way to describe this. Hang out with POSITIVE people and friends. Negative BREEDS NEGATIVE. Life isn't perfect, but neither is being constantly exposed to a dripping faucet of poison, people sobbing and crying in their beer. Leave em' at the bar where they belong in there delusion.
The bottom line is everything is a choice, you control most of the choices. Get focused on moving on positively with lifes daily adventures, leave the sinking of the titanic to the losers.
You may email me if you like.

Answer 3

Exercise is exceptional. That you have started that will help a lot and probably do so fairly quickly.

Get on and stay on a regular sleep schedule.

Do things that can help you laugh. Funny movies on You.Tube for example.

Oddly, put a piece of transparent tape on your forehead and leave it there. People use this as a treatment to stop frowning sometimes, but since it's silly and makes you smile more it makes you happier too.

Keep a "three things" diary. Every night before sleep reflect on your day. Write down 3 things that went well. Anything. Even like buying gas today when you could have put it off till tomorrow. After about a week, you will start looking for things to go well in your day so you can write them down. Before long you start altering your day to be better to have greater things to write down. It's a tool to change the way you think about your world. (I should start doing this again too.)

Smile at some random person you see in a hall or on the street. It feels good when they smile back at you.

Keep your appointment with your therapist even if you are feeling better by then. He/she can help even more.

Answer 4

Hi,
You will see lots of answers such as stay happy, exercise, see friends, read books, watch tv, listen to music, think positive etc. etc.

Belive me they don't help at all. Why ? Simple. If you have a heart ache and you take medicine for hair fall, cold or fever, it won't work ? Because You are not treating the cause of your problem.

You problems are in the realm of relationship, work on that. A relationship is between two people and both of them are equally responsible for its sucess or failure.

Accept your responsiblity.

What it is that you want to see a psychiatrist ?

There's no problem that you can't solve. There are many brave souls like me who are working hard to keep their relationships alive.

I can't tell details but yeah, I am 100 % honest and sincere towards my relationship without even .01% support of anyone. I have seen tough times in relationship and I have learned. I have kept my relationship alive despite all odds.

Love by your heart, someone somewhere loves you alot, you need to recognizzzzzzzzzzz.

Then you won't be sad and won't need to ask for reasons to be happy because your relationship will give love and happiness to you. Happiness in your relationship will eliminate the problems of depressed state.

Give it a try and I am sure that you will thank me instantly.
Best of Luck

Answer 5

Go into your kitchen.
Put your hands on top of the counter.
Squat down slowly.
Go up slowly.
Do this 10 times.

Put your hands on the edge of the counter, step back a bit.
Do counter top pushups. Slowly. 10 times.

Put one foot back, firmly on the floor. Do the same pushups, stretching the back of the calf of the leg set back. 10 times.
Reverse you feet and stretch the other leg, 10 times.

Do these exercises every day.

This will boost your chemicals in your brain, you WILL feel better.
When you exercise, include weightlifting Mon, Wed, Fri.
You will also meet new people at the gym.

Answer 6

To get over my depression is I try to look for something to do get my interest. I watch my arts and crafts program. I make my own seasonal cards and scrap booking. I like helping at school, I do a lot of volunteer at school and public library. I help kids with their home work after school. I try to find a place where I could enjoy my interest on fine arts. I'm going to start my own oil painting soon. I hope you can find your own interest in life other than looking for pleasure

Answer 7

A good way of getting out of a depressed/lonely state is to think of others in the world who really have it bad and say to yourself I dont have the right to be depressed/lonely and stop feeling sorry for ones self and take action towards what makes you happy in life...dont sit there in your depression and wait for it to go away...get up get out and change your life.

Answer 8

Any kind of interaction. If you can find someone or many on the same boat, so much the better. Club, coffee shop, a fun class, anything but stay home alone.

Answer 9

Listen to happy Music....Reggae Makes me happy and cheerful..


im listining to Marlon Ashton Now..lol

Answer 10

Go home to see your parents and brothers/sisters. Family is always the best treatment. It helps a lot.