What do we do when bad news comes our way, when problems seem to pile up in our lives? We have to understand that there will always be bad news and problems, that nothing is ever perfect. So how can we keep smiling, despite everything? Here are 6 effective exercises to stop you getting depressed.

1 – Practice gratitude to keep smiling

The practice of gratitude is just magic. Magical, because it’s a simple practice.

All we have to do is stop for a few moments. Morning, noon and night are ideal. We stop, close our eyes and slowly, gently, list at least 3 things that make us happy in the moment.

And, as we list what makes us happy, grateful, we can let a gentle smile stretch across our face. Take care to relax our shoulders, hands, jaw and forehead.

Relaxing and smiling, because we remember that, although not everything in our lives is perfect, there are still beautiful things.

That’s why, to keep smiling, I wholeheartedly invite you to practice gratitude morning, noon and night. Set 3 alarms on your phone to think about it.

And if you took some time right now to practice gratitude, what would be the 3 things that make you happy in the moment?

2 – Calling someone you love

Some bad news hits us hard, and in our heads, it’s a mess and our hearts are aching. In such moments, calling someone close to you, someone who’s more talkative and cheerful, can do us a world of good.

For a few moments, we’ll be able to think about something else by taking an interest in another person.

Because, all too often, we lose our smile, because we listen to our anxious thoughts.

And, finally, when we take a step aside from all the films we imagine, we breathe easier and smile again.

That’s why I wholeheartedly invite you to think about calling someone you love. Ask yourself, right now, who you could call next time to take a step aside from your negative thoughts and keep smiling.

3 – Look back on happy memories and stop getting depressed

Sometimes, bad news and problems cause us to take an extremely negative, pessimistic view of our lives. In fact, we question everything and lose all our joie de vivre. In other words, we gradually become depressed.

So what can we do?

At times like these, don’t let your thoughts make you believe that your life is sad and pointless.

To do this, take some writing utensils and list at least 5 happy memories. Go back slowly. Last month, last year and so on.

List at least 5 and take a deep breath.

To keep smiling, it’s essential to remember that life is made up of cycles. In other words, there are ups and downs, and that’s normal. So maybe you’re experiencing a low right now, but a high will follow.

4 – Reading beautiful things to keep smiling

Sometimes we get depressed because we no longer nourish our zest for life. Worse, because we surround ourselves with negative vibes: we watch too much TV, listen to other people’s gossip and grumbling.

We need to stop!

To keep smiling, we need to feed ourselves with positive words. Poetry, spirituality or simply light, almost childlike things.

That’s why I wholeheartedly invite you to seek joy in the words of others, in quotations, poetry collections, books…

Let the words guide you towards your joy in life and nourish it.

To this end, I wholeheartedly invite you to create a notebook of positive quotes. To start, take a sheet of paper right now and list at least 5 quotes that particularly appeal to you. Do some research.

5 – Go for a run and let all the negative emotions go.

To keep smiling is to stop being too mental. In other words, it means taking a step to the side with our thoughts.

To do this, our body is our best ally. In fact, when we’re physically active, our bodies secrete happy hormones, hormones that make us feel relaxed and even a little euphoric.

So, to put a smile back on your face, all you have to do is slam the door on your home and go for a 20-minute run or a brisk walk.

And to keep smiling, all you have to do is make it a daily habit. Will you?

6 – A short meditation to keep you smiling

We forget it, but to keep smiling, we need to learn to reassure and encourage ourselves.

All too often, we seek comfort in others, in the outside world, when we are our own refuge.

The problem is that we haven’t learned to do this, to reassure and encourage ourselves. In fact, we’ve mostly learned to judge and criticize ourselves.

That’s why I invite you to practice a short meditation.

Isolate yourself in a quiet place. Close your eyes and take 3 deep breaths.

Then repeat this short text: “My life doesn’t have to be perfect to be happy. I don’t need to be perfect, perfect to be happy, happy.”

Repeat this until you feel your body relax, until your thoughts calm down.

Because keeping smiling also means learning to calm yourself, to stop being the victim of your own negative, anxious thoughts. Get out of your thoughts!

Find out more:

I invite you to read these 2 complementary articles:

Discover Feeling lonely and sad: 5 heart-friendly tips
Discover Learn to be happy: 7 tips for being happy in all circumstances

I recommend this inspiring book:

Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant

Option B explores how to maintain a positive attitude in the face of adversity. Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant share personal stories and research, offering insights into building resilience and finding joy, even in difficult circumstances. The book provides a roadmap for moving through difficult times with strength and optimism, focusing on the power of choosing joy in the midst of life’s unexpected challenges.

I appreciated the author’s candor and authenticity as she talks about her life with her husband, her family, friends and colleagues, and how she coped after her husband’s death. This is one of the highlights of the book, as are her interactions with other people, what she learned from them and how she helped them.
The author’s humor and resilience shine through in her words.
I loved it!

Thank you very much for reading this article.

If you liked it, let me know in the comments.

Take care of yourself