There comes a time in life when things aren't going our way and we feel as though there's nothing to keep us going. During this time you may experience a plethora of emotions - stress, loneliness, frustrated, empty, anxious, and even depressed.

As someone with depression, I have always viewed "feeling depressed" and "having depression" as two different things, but there are commonalities. Feeling depressed can often be tied to a situation one is experiencing, where as having depression can feel like a never ending cycle of feeling depressed because you're depressed. Though there is a difference, both have the same results - unhappiness.

Life isn't easy and when we're down it can often feel pointless to even get out of bed. Sure you probably have said you don't care, that you're fine feeling this way because it's better than facing reality. I promise you it's not. I've been there so many times and I can promise you that as cheesy as it sounds, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. Whether the tunnel is made for you or you have to dig your way through it, it's there.

Often when digging we find ourselves digging alongside people we'd never expect. Whether it be a friend or a foe, this time of hurt will help you realize who is there for you and who's not. Life is too short to have people who are only there for you when times are good--keep those who are there for you when you're at your worst, ones who love and accept you for all your faults, ones you can tell anything to and you know they'll always love you. Losing friends you thought were there for you is hard, and feeling alone can destroy a person but in my experience I've always come out stronger and all the more happy, its just about staying positive.

When we're unhappy it can be really hard to pick ourselves back up, but all you need is a positive mindset. Keeping a positive mindset means to choose to be happy no matter who's on your nerves or what's stressing you out. Choosing to be happy can drastically alter an individual's life experiences and overall quality of life. This can seem impossible when we're down, that's why its so important to keep a positive mindset even when we are up. By doing this you are training your mind to have a positive outlook, that way when things start getting hard in your life you are able to not get dragged down but rather choose to stay up.

Now the tricky part is the how. How can one keep a positive mindset?

Sure this can be hard and there will be times when it's utterly impossible to be happy, but it's never impossible to stay positive, even when something life changing-ly bad happens.

The first step is making the decision that you are going to be happy, and to keep reminding yourself of this anytime you feel the slightest bit negative. Whether someone is getting on your nerves or you're stressed out about work/school, remember that being unhappy or outwardly frustrated won't do anything for the situation and has a strong possibility of just making things worse. When in a situation where you feel yourself becoming negative think "I'm going to be happy and no one can change that." Or you could even ask yourself "How much does this really matter in the long term? Will I care about this tomorrow?" This is a great method for anyone who has a habit of letting out their negativity.

As humans we are prone to feeling sad every so often, sometimes for no reason. It is so important to have plans or goals to look forward to in order to get you through rough spots. Whether it be a trip to the coast 3 weeks out or graduating 8 months from now, have something to look forward to or else you may be asking yourself "What's the point of doing anything today?"

Never stop setting goals to work towards. Whether they're long term or short term, never stop aspiring to reach them in order to become the person you want to be and living the life you want to live.One thing to point out is even though you should be focusing on things you're excited about, don't think that its the only good thing you have going for you!

You should wake up everyday deciding it's going to be a great one, and by doing this you're choosing to be happy.