It’s said that human have seven basic emotions: anger, contempt (蔑视), fear, disgust (厌恶), happiness, sadness and surprise. While we all search for happiness and fulfillment (成就感), we still often end up with bad feelings.

Helping yourself is the best thing to do if you’re feeling low, yet it may be the hardest thing for anyone in this situation to actually do. The basics of life can easily be forgotten. You may not sleep well, feel very tired, lose interest in activities, or do poorly in schoolwork.

Here are some tips to help you defeat your low feelings.

Talk with someone

This is the obvious answer, but that’s only because it works. When you talk about your feelings and someone you respect understands how you feel, it starts you on the path to healing. It also helps you to see yourself in less limiting ways, so you can get back to being who you want to be.

Get out of the house

Getting out can be hard if you feel like you don’t want to be around people. That’s OK for now, but at least make yourself walk to a spot with a nice view or a place that brings you some peace. A change of scenery and fresh air will help you heal.

Eat your favorite food

Don’t overdo it, but allow yourself to eat whatever foods you love. Maybe the foods you love are actually good for you. Certain foods that include something special like fresh peach, dark chocolate can make you feel happier. They have also been proved to help fight low moods.

Watch a comedy

Someone once cured himself of a serious illness by laughing at old movies. I know when you’re in a low mood, you may not want to make yourself laugh. But the cycle of sadness must be broken so you can get back to your normal life, and this is a very easy way to start.

Smile

Look at yourself in the mirror and see the difference between when you express your sadness and when you smile. The act of smiling actually releases chemicals (化学物质) in your brain that make you want to smile more and make you feel better. Practice at home first, and then go to a public place and wear that smile. People will smile back, and that will make you feel happier.

You can’t do everything on this list at once, so try one or two ideas, and see what works for you. If the results are positive, then try another. The idea here is to make your life better, and no one can do that but you. Please give it a chance. You’d be surprised at how easy it is to feel better when you do things to help yourself heal.

In ancient Egypt, women did not go out to work. They stayed and worked at home. Many Egyptian men were farmers. Some men were builders or fishermen. Other men worked as artists. Some other important people did not do any farming.

The weather in Egypt was very hot. Ancient Egyptians did not wear many clothes. Men, women and children often wore simple robes made of thin cloth. On their feet they wore light open shoes. People, including women, shaved (刮掉) hair from their heads to keep cool.

Children in ancient Egypt grew up to do the same jobs as their parents. Girls stayed at home with their mothers. They learned to look after the home. Boys worked with their fathers. They learned to do the jobs their fathers did. They only went to school to learn to write if they wanted to become a scribe (抄写员).

Many of the games played by ancient Egyptians are similar to games we still play today. Children played racing and jumping games. They also played ball games and with wooden toys. Older children played a game like chess.

The kings of Egypt (the pharaohs) were powerful enough to control their country. The people thought that the pharaoh was a god. He owned everything. Everyone had to do what he told them to do. The pharaohs built huge tombs (坟墓). When a pharaoh died, he was buried in the tomb. The tombs were often in the shape of pyramids (金字塔). When a pharaoh was buried, he was surrounded by treasure and by things to help him in the next world, such as food, clothes, furniture and weapons.

It’s important to have some friends in your life. The following kinds of friends are just what you need to keep happy.

Sometimes a loyal best friend is the only thing you need. He knows all of your deepest and darkest secrets, but still loves you all the same.

You can learn customs (习俗), values (价值观), and traditions outside of your own culture if you have a friend from a different culture. Maybe you can even learn some new ways to do things. So don’t be afraid of someone that is from a different culture. Instead, try to learn about something different when getting to know the person.

These days, a lot of people don’t know their own neighbours. It’s a pity (遗憾), because some neighbours can help you a lot sometimes. If you are on vacation, and you find that you forget to lock the door, you can call up your neighbour and ask him to lock it for you.

Do you know that with a full-time job, you spend at least 50% of your working hours at work? So does your work pal. When something worries you at work, you’ll find it much easier to work with someone.

With these friends in your life, you’re sure to live a long and happy life!