30 Uplifting Words Of Encouragement For A Friend Who’s Down

Last Updated on November 21, 2022

While life may sometimes seem like a battlefield, it’s easy to survive the chaos with a little help from your friends. Good friends don’t just pick you up when you feel like you’re falling apart, they’re also there to knock some sense into you when you’re about to do something stupid.

Solid friendships aren’t just good for the soul, they’re also great for your health. A recent study done by Harvard showed that people who are in healthy relationships live longer, more fruitful lives. So, if you want to be happier, you need to start connecting with others.

This is a great reason to take your friendships to the next level. By reaching out to a friend and showing up for the important moments, you’re not just increasing your life span, you’re also gaining a support system.

But what if your pillar of support is the one going through a tough time? How do you lift and give a friend who had just a bad day? What can I say to encourage a friend?

Whether your friend is grieving the death of a loved one or going through a tough time at work, here are some words and message of encouragement to a friend that you can share to help them get by.

Words of Encouragement for a Friend Who Needs Encouraging Words

Here’s a collection of encouraging and inspiring words for friends that you can share with people who are about to lose faith and completely forget that there are friends and family around them that can help.

1. “Everyone has inside them a piece of good news. The good news is you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is.” – Anne FrankClick to Tweet

Everyone has the potential to be such an amazing person. Remind your friend that they are not defined by their circumstances. Even if that person lived a bad life, there’s still so much they can accomplish with the right mindset.

2. “… if we deliberately seek encouragement (motivation) on a daily basis, it will become a habit and enable us to get ahead and stay ahead in life.” -Zig ZiglarClick to Tweet

Habits are very powerful things. They can help your friend take control of their response to any circumstance. Encourage your best friend to take a deep breath and seek encouraging messages from people they admire instead of dwelling on their negative situation.

3. “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” -Maya AngelouClick to Tweet

Misery loves company. When a friend is suffering, it’s easy to get sucked under their cloud. Let your friend know how much they mean to you. And let that friend know that in difficulty lies opportunity. It also wouldn’t hurt to tell them about the times they were the rainbow in your cloud and how lucky you are to have such a blessing in your life.

4. “It is important to surround yourself with people who lift you up, encourage you, share your vision and inspire you.” -Les BrownClick to Tweet

We’re all familiar with the cliche: birds of the same feather flock together. Help your friend get through the bad times by being their pillar of support. We can all do with a dose of positive reinforcement from people we trust to stay on course.

5. “You have a greater potential than anyone who has ever lived before you! But you’ll never “make it” by sitting on your duff and telling the world how great you’re going to be, starting tomorrow.” -Og MandinoClick to Tweet

We live in a time when anything and everything is possible. Encourage your friend to take on new challenges and really show the world what they’re capable of. Having a taste of something new can be the key to experiencing so much happiness. If your friends want to find that extraordinary destiny, then they’ll have to work for it.

6. “You could be the world’s best garbage man, the world’s best model; it don’t matter what you do if you’re the best.” -Muhammad AliClick to Tweet

We all have the potential to be the best versions of ourselves. Regardless of their job title or circumstances, your friend only needs to work on becoming the best version of himself that he can be. With the right mindset, your friend can even become the smartest human being if that’s the goal. No one else should make them think or feel otherwise no matter what.

See also
10 Awesome Team Building Activities at Work for Adults
7. “You can do no more than you believe you can. You can be no more than you believe you are.” -Norman Vincent PealeClick to Tweet

There is power in believing that you’re capable of achieving whatever you set your mind to. Tell your friend that they are only limited by their perception of themselves. God gave us all the tools we need to overcome our struggles. Triumph begins when they believe they can accomplish great things.

8. “Nothing in this world is impossible to a willing heart.” -Abraham LincolnClick to Tweet

A willing heart trumps all fears. If a person has the heart to succeed, they will do everything in their power to overcome difficulties. Let your best friend know that nothing is impossible to a person who is determined to make the impossible possible.

9. “Sometimes when you are in a dark place you think you have been buried, but actually you have been planted.” -Christine CaineClick to Tweet

Even if the situation seems hopeless at this point, it’s nothing that a change of perspective can’t fix. Instead of focusing on the pain and suffering, encourage your friend to look at it as an opportunity for growth.

10. “No matter how tall the mountain is, it cannot block the sun.” -Chinese proverbClick to Tweet

No matter how big your friend’s problems may be, remind them there’s always hope. Struggles develop all the time. But you have to remember: Mountains can seem overwhelming from the bottom, but they can be so small when you look at the sky. So refuse failure and keep moving onward.

11. “You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is like an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.” -GandhiClick to Tweet

People will hurt and disappoint, but that shouldn’t be a reason to give up all faith in humanity. Restore your friend’s faith in people by sharing inspirational stories of extraordinary personalities who tirelessly work to make the world a better place.

12. “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” -Robert H. SchullerClick to Tweet

Your friend can overcome anything when he or she knows that tough times don’t last. Even if the situation seems hopeless now, it’s not a reason to give up. What doesn’t kill them is only going to make them stronger.

Pin
13. “Your dreams can take you much higher and much farther than anyone ever thought possible!” -Buzz AldrinClick to Tweet

Dreams can be a powerful source of motivation that can bring people to places or situations they never thought could be possible. Just like Buzz Aldrin, your friend need only to dream big dreams to reach the stars.

14. “Relentless people move mountains. Relentless people make the impossible, possible. Relentless people achieve miracles.” -Wayne Allyn RootClick to Tweet

Being relentless means having a persistent spirit to overcome all challenges. When your friend is down, remind them of their relentless spirit. With enough determination, they can achieve anything they set their mind to.

15. “People who fail often work as hard as those who succeed. The major difference is that successful people put their time into activities that give higher pay-back.” -Robyn PearceClick to Tweet

Failure doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. They prod people to take action. Help your friend realize that there’s always room for improvement. If they use their time on activities that will help them improve their craft or skills, they can expect better results in the long run.

16. “Focus on improving yourself and I guarantee that the quality of people you spend time with will dramatically improve.” -J. D. DavidClick to Tweet

If your friend is a victim of toxic relationships, encourage them to work on improving themselves. When they focus on self-improvement, they will attract people who are just like them. Remind them that they reflect the company they keep.

17. “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” -ConfuciusClick to Tweet

When taking a new path, it’s important that you have your whole heart in it. If a friend is having a tough time choosing the right path, move them in the right direction by reminding them to go with all their heart. It doesn’t matter where they go as long as they trust their heart’s instinct.

See also
How Do You Fight Overthinking?
18. “Stop beating yourself up. You are a work in progress.”Click to Tweet

It doesn’t matter what a person has already accomplished in life, there’s always going to be room for growth. Being a work in progress shouldn’t be a discouragement. It’s a good reminder to be kinder to oneself. As long as a person is moving towards progress, they’re on the right track.

19. “When something bad happens, you have three choices: You can either let it define you, let it destroy you or let it strengthen you.”Click to Tweet

When life hits us with the unexpected, it feels like losing control. Let your friend know that they can choose how it affects them. Whether they allow it to make or break them, the choice is ultimately up to them.

20. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” -Eleanor RooseveltClick to Tweet

When relating with people, no one has the right to make any person feel inferior. For your friend who is struggling with their relationships, remind them that they are in control over how other people make them feel. They will only feel unworthy if they let others demean them.

21. “Whenever you find yourself doubting how far you can go, just remember how far you have come.”Click to Tweet

A good pep talk to motivate your friend is to remind them how far they’ve come in life. While they may be unsure of where they’re headed right now, they can always look back at their journey to see how far they’ve already come.

22. “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” -C.S. LewisClick to Tweet

One way to encourage a friend is to remind them that there are always new goals to set and new dreams to dream. By setting their sights on the future, they’ll feel motivated to overcome whatever situation they’re in.

23. “Life is very interesting. In the end, some of your greatest pains become your greatest strengths.” -Drew BarrymoreClick to Tweet

Even though your friend is experiencing great pain at this moment, help them see the purpose of their pain. They may not know it right now, but they have the power to turn their pains into their strengths.

24. “If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not making decisions.” -Katherine HepburnClick to Tweet

Mistakes are inevitable in life. But instead of being a source of discouragement, they can be a signal to recalibrate your life. Making mistakes means that there’s actual movement in someone’s life. They can be guideposts that will direct your friend to the right path.

holding hands - words of encouragement to a friendPin
25. “Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” -OprahClick to Tweet

To get good results in the future, one must do their best at the moment. What a person does today will affect their future. Oprah was on to something when she said this quote.

26. “The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall.” -Vince LombardiClick to Tweet

A very insightful quote about not giving up. Again, success isn’t found in not failing, but in choosing to get up after a fall. The more a person tries, the more chances that they have to get it right.

27. “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” -Albert EinsteinClick to Tweet

In every setback, there’s an opportunity to grow. Just because things didn’t work out as planned, that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the road. It’s a good time to remind your friend to take a step back and look at how they can improve their situation. Maybe there are things that they still need to learn before they take the next step.

28. “A word of encouragement during a failure is worth more than an hour of praise after success.”Click to Tweet

Nothing sounds sweeter than a message of motivation for a friend who experienced a terrible fall. Whether your friend is going through a major life change or reeling from a bad situation, always be ready with supportive words for a friend to lift up their spirits.

29. “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.” -Mary Anne RadmacherClick to Tweet
See also
Why Do I Worry So Much About Everything?

Tell your friend that It’s okay to not be okay. Being courageous isn’t always about being strong and forceful. Sometimes, it’s in the willingness to try again.

30. “Friendship doubles our joy and divides our grief.” -Swedish proverbClick to Tweet

When we surround ourselves with good friends, anything is possible. Good friends not only bring joy into our lives, but they also share our grief so we don’t have to carry the burden alone. Negative circumstances become more bearable with friends around.

Are You Ready to Use These Words of Encouragement to a Friend?

Speak life to your friends with encouraging words and a positive attitude. No matter what their circumstances are, your words of friendship encouragement can help them get back on track. Be their source of positivity when they’re going through tough times. After all, that’s what friends are for.

BONUS: Cool Items of Encouraging Words You Can Give to a Friend

8 Simple Ways to Supercharge Your Motivation EverydayPin

Make Everyday Count - Stay Motivated!

Sign up below to get our FREE e-book "8 Simple Ways to Supercharge Your Motivation Everyday!"

Make Everyday Count - Stay Motivated!

Sign up below to get our FREE e-book "8 Simple Ways to Supercharge Your Motivation Everyday!"