Pennsylvania resident here. Random acts of kindness go a long way.

An unexpected check in the mail always perks me right up.

I head outiside, into nature..that always cures me.

Very nice. Right now this site is my go to.

A bar. With friends is better, but just a bar works. Your way sounds a lot more selfless, but I gotta be me.

“When life gets you down and you're having your worst day, what helps you to feel better?” -- Sleep. I know it’s said not to be a good ..treatment for depression, but I dare to differ.. What sets me up for joy is talking with either of my daughters, it’s beyond a fix, or anything easily attained..

Doing what I do best (I'm okay at it) : photography, for people who would otherwise not get decent photos not from a cell phone. Sneak in a discount for someone at my job. Give a compliment. Watch something lighthearted on TV and put my political views aside for an hour because it gets too much for someone with depression and anxiety. These are some things I do to feel better and cope. I like to leave a quarter in a cart, so the cart is unlocked, for the next person at Aldi. Little things. Smile at a stranger even though I'm awkward and I hate people.

Usually when I need a long break from reality, I read the Harry Potter series. Read them after my divorce and again last year when everything was going to shit. They are just wonderful. Right now I'm creating some Harry Potter activities for my after school program and is going to be awesome!

I usually just listen to heavy music, go on YouTube and listen to some of my favorite people talk about how they beat the odds, cry, punch a pillow, vent to friends, and hope for a better tomorrow. Sometimes, if they need it at the time, I'll let my friends talk to me about their problems as making them feel better makes me feel better too. I love the ideas you stated, and if I wasn't disabled and broke at the moment, I'd totally try them. I'll definitely think about doing that in the future when I have a job and money. Altruism feels amazing.

Honestly, I just wanted to say that you're my hero! I love everything about this post, and the world needs more humans like you.

Though doing something nice for others definitely brightens my day (and working in San Francisco, I'm constantly given the opportunity to lend a helping hand to someone less fortunate than I, and do so quite frequently), I'm sad to say that it's not my immediate go-to when I'm in a funk--I'm definitely going to try seeking that out next time as an immediate fix, thanks to this post, rather than only doing something like that when the opportunity presents itself.

For me, currently, when I'm down and having a totally crap day, I convert that crap into creativity; I write, listen to music and sing, draw and paint, or get crafty and build something (most recently I made a geometric lamp for my bedside table, and borrowed my dad's woodworking tools to build a mini playhouse for my niece and nephew). Alternatively, I'll go thrift store hunting for treasure to fix up and repurpose, take a hot bath and read, redirect and refocus my energy on things that need getting done like clean the house and work on my thesis, or, more recently, come here and read/respond to posts like this =)

I have my happy upbeat playlist and I just dance around to get the endorphins going.

I like doing random acts of kindness all the time. It helps make this world less gloomy.

I think doing kind things for others is the best way to improve mood. Not only do I get to see the fruits of my labor, as it were, but I also get out of my own head for a while and stop obsessing over my own petty problems.

Intense social anxiety is usually a part of why I'm having those days to begin with so often times something as socially active as seeking out people to help is just not within my power. Instead I usually meditate at home if it's really bad. Otherwise I retreat from the situation as prolonged exposure leads to things becoming worse and worse until I involuntarily do something I regret. I've lost several jobs due to not having a way out of a situation and a sort of fight or flight thing kicking in. Bad days are pretty bad for me lol. Usually takes some extreme heroic efforts to get passed them.

Time. Tomorrow is another day.

I like you!

Helping others is actually helping ourselves more because of how we feel inside. Once, I was reluctant to work at a hospice because I thought it would be depressing (people were dying) and how would I deal with that. As it turned out, they were positive and hopeful to the very end and I got way more out of it than they could ever give to me and I will always treasure those moments.