At times I observe how those around me try to help a person in a low mood, trying to cheer him up in every possible way. I think this behavior stems from the assumption that the opposite of sadness is joy. However, this is not quite true. Scientists' long-term clinical observations of depressed people led them to the understanding that people suffering from depression tend to experience a deficit of the emotion of “interest,” which is expressed in apathy, lethargy, and lack of energy. You yourself have probably noticed more than once that it is difficult to catch a person who is interested in life in a depressed state, but if someone is stuck in boredom, then sadness comes to him by itself. To prevent depressive conditions and stimulate the emotion of “interest,” psychologists recommend the following methods: - Novelty and change. As you know, routine and everyday life make life boring and uninteresting. Therefore, from time to time it is worth introducing something new into it, and sometimes completely changing the environment. For example, you can take a different route to work, take an unfamiliar dish for lunch, go to some interesting place (theater, museum, nature...), travel to other countries, rearrange the furniture in the room, dye your hair, update your clothes, etc. much more.- Social activity. The most interesting and mysterious object in the world for people is a person and his personality. Therefore, communicating with friends, meeting new people, participating in social groups - all this can maintain interest and bring joy. - Imagination and thinking. To stimulate interest, we can not only comprehend the real world, but also create many realities in our imagination. This can be achieved by reading books, being creative, inventing, talking about life patterns, etc. Therefore, if next time you want to help a person with a chronically low mood, it is better to interest him in something that will give him strength and motivation to live. Although, of course, the causes of sadness can be quite different and often their roots are deeper than it seems at first glance. That’s why it’s better to help depressed people in tandem with a psychologist who can establish the exact cause and outline an appropriate solution, and you, in turn, will help make this person’s life more varied and interesting. Be interested and be interesting!