Mental Health & Wellbeing, Coping with Depression

From Depression to Happiness:

Hi, I’m a school student in London. I also study counselling, and I’ve spent a lot of time learning about mental health, depression, and happiness. I want to share some ideas about how to move step by step from feeling low to finding happiness in everyday life.

Recognise the Red Flags

First, it’s important to know when things are slipping. Some warning signs I’ve noticed are:

• Feeling tired all the time, not wanting to see friends.
• Thinking negative things constantly, like “I’m useless” or “Nothing will ever get better.”
• Turning to cigarettes, alcohol, or gambling to escape feelings.

These habits may seem like a quick fix, but they can seriously harm your life. I’ve seen people lose months or years to addiction. Gambling can leave you stressed, broke, and lonely. Smoking and drinking damage your body and mind, and they actually make negative thoughts worse.

Step 1: Change Your Thinking

Negative thinking is sneaky — it creeps in and makes small problems feel huge. Here’s what helped me:

• Notice the thought — when I caught myself spiralling, I said, “Wait, is this really true?”
• Replace it with something positive — like remembering a success at school or a kind thing I did for a friend.
• Take action. Even a short walk, a run, or tidying my room can help shift my mind.

Step 2: Find Happiness in Small Things

Happiness doesn’t have to be massive. I’ve found it in:

• Photography walks around London, capturing sunsets on the Thames or street art in Shoreditch.
• Attending the theatre every weekend. Even an hour of live performance makes me feel alive.
• Coffee and proper conversations with friends — not just scrolling phones.

Little joys like these add up and remind you that life has good moments.

Step 3: Avoid Negative Traps

• Cigarettes: They promise calm but steal your health and confidence.
• Alcohol: Feeling relaxed for a few hours isn’t worth hangovers, regrets, or mood crashes.
• Gambling: One bet can become many, and suddenly you’re stressed, broke, and lonely.

I replaced these habits with photography, theatre, exercise, and reading — things that give me satisfaction without hurting me.

Step 4: Seek Support

You don’t have to fight depression alone. Talk to:

• Trusted friends. Even one good friend can make a big difference.
• Family members — parents, older siblings, cousins.
• Community or online support — clubs, school counsellors, or websites like Mentalzone.

Even just talking about how you feel can lighten the load.

Step 5: Step-by-Step Positive Habits

Here’s how I personally fought bad habits and found happiness:

• Skipped smoking and drinking by taking photography walks instead whenever I felt tempted.
• Stopped negative thinking by journaling every evening: writing down worries and then solutions or positives.
• Built a positive hobby — theatre every weekend gave me something to look forward to.
• Connected with community — sharing photos with an online photography group, getting encouragement, and feeling part of something.

These steps didn’t fix everything overnight, but little by little, life started feeling brighter.

Step 6: Notice the Little Things

Happiness often hides in small everyday moments:

• A sunny patch in the park.
• Fresh bread from a bakery.
• A smile from someone passing by.

I keep a notebook and write one good thing that happened each day, even if it’s tiny. It trains my mind to notice the positives instead of the negatives.

Final Words

Depression can feel overwhelming, but happiness is built step by step. Avoid addictions like cigarettes, alcohol, and gambling. Notice red flags, seek support, focus on little joys, and replace bad habits with good ones.

Life is full of small moments worth noticing. As a counsellor, I help people find these moments and build happier, healthier habits. If you’re struggling, don’t wait — reach out. Talking, sharing, and taking small positive steps can change everything.