How to Cheer up a Discouraged Friend

When the hard times hit hard, it's our friends that we should be able to turn to for comfort and assistance. When this happens to your friend, it's important to step up to the plate in the same way you'd want someone to do for you. While it may be difficult to see your friend this way, he may not be able to get through it alone. You could be the one to help your friend get the joy back.

Instructions

1. Give the gift of an inspirational book. An uplifting book isn’t only good for your friend to read when he is feeling discouraged. He can read later on to keep from getting discouraged again. Choose a book with inspirational stories or uplifting quotes.

2. Take a class together and learn something new. Learning something different may throw your friend right out of his discouraged feeling. When your friend has fun with it, he may start to feel better about things. Be there to lend moral support.

3. Be there to listen. This is probably one thing that your friend could really use. Sometimes a person just needs an outlet to vent frustrations and issues where he won’t be judged. Take the time to sit and listen to what he has to say. He may appreciate it more than you know.

4. Help relieve some of his stress. If he is feeling discouraged with certain aspects of his life, you can help him out by doing certain errands for him. Consider doing small tasks like running to the post office or picking up his kids from school.

5. Make a special effort to have time for your friend. While spending time with friends is important, sometimes work and family get in the way. Make an extra effort to have dinner with your friend. See a movie or do some other activity together. Having positive friends around when you need them the most can make a big difference.

6. Make your friend a CD of peppy, upbeat songs. Music has a way of inspiring people. Your friend may hear a certain lyric or a complete song that will help him feel less discouraged.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid being too overbearing. Your friend needs you, but he doesn’t need someone interfering in his life. He needs to make the final push to feel better.