(Exactly) What to Say to Cheer Someone Up

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If someone looks upset or is having a bad day, figuring out what to say to cheer them up is always welcome.

You could be trying to cheer them up because they are stressed out, or it could be a larger issue.

Keep in mind the right timing and approach to cheering someone up, as if someone has just learned of a major loss or has something tragic happen to them, you need to focus more on giving them support than cheering them up.

That being said, here are some great options for what to say to cheer someone up when you don’t know what to say.

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1. Remind Them of a Funny Time You’ve Had Together

Jokes and laughter are always a great way to cheer someone up and great thing to say to someone who is upset.

You don’t need to whip out your joke book, but reminding the person of a funny time you had together or bringing up an inside joke from the past can help them to smile again.

Reference a funny anecdote you always share that makes them laugh, good memories of the funny times you’ve had together in the past, or you could even tell them something funny that happened to you recenty or forward a funny meme or article.

They say that laughter is the best medicine, and that is really true!

2. Tell Them How Great They Are and What You Admire About Them

Sometimes, people need cheering up because they haven’t performed as well as they want to or because something is going wrong in their life.

Remind them to keep their self-esteem up by telling them how great they are and what you admire about them.

Telling them that they are awesome, intelligent, strong, and can get through this is a nice mood boost for them as they deal with their low mood and can help encourage people.

If someone has particularly low self-esteem, you might find them resistent to your positive things about them, but say it anyway.

Hopefully it will lodge in the back of their mind and will help cheer them up even if you can’t see it right away.

If you can, point to specific instances or achievements of theirs from the past to remind them how awesome they are.

3. Distract Them Completely with a Topic they Enjoy

Sometimes, people just need a distraction in order to cheer them up.

You could change the topic to talk about something else they enjoy, whether it’s gardening, your shared favorite television show, or a sport.

This isn’t a good option when you can tell that someone just wants to vent and talk about what is upsetting them in the first place, but if they are just overall stressed and there is not much you can do to help, then it may be worth diverting the conversation and seeing if that helps.

It gets them out of their own brain, and that can make all the difference.

4. Help Them Out in a Practical Way

If your friend is really stressed about all of the cookies she needs to make for her daughter’s class tomorrow and that her house is a mess, show up on the doorstep if you have time to pitch in and help.

Helping someone in a practical way to take things off their plate can really make someone feel like you value them and cheer them up as they realize that they are not in it alone and have people willing to support them.

This could also be related to dropping off something for their family to eat for dinner, offering to take them to their doctor’s appointment, or however else you can pitch in to show that you care.

5. Tell Them You are Thinking of Them

Sometimes, you don’t have all of the right things to say and they may be in an especially difficult time, so the best thing you can do is tell them you are thinking of them and keeping them in your thoughts.

It’s a little message, but it can go a long way towards cheering someone up knowing that other people are thinking about them and caring how they are doing.

6. Give Them a Gift

A small gift can be a great idea to cheer someone up.

It can just be a random present based on things they like, like buying someone a new candle or a new bath scrub that you know they love.

Or it can relate to what they are upset about, which could be something like if they had to cancel their wedding as their venue closed down, you could send them a wedding planner with a note that you are always around to help them plan for their new wedding date next year and you know it’s going to be even better than what they would have had this year.

If someone is missing home and they are from a different state or country, you could buy them a gift from that area.

The list is endless, but know that many people’s love language is gifts, as it’s a physical reminder of how much someone cares about you, so get creative!

Homemade, store bought, whatever it is, it really is the thought that counts.

What to Say in Other Situations

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