I'm the type of person who is logical and good with numbers and math and blah blah blah. So therefore I lack the ability to cheer people up when they're down to let them shed a fraction of their pain. (emotions do not obey the laws of logic 🙁 )The most I could do is listen while my friends cry out their heart and offer a few soothing words. But that's about all. 🙁 I want to be able to see my friends smile more often so I'd like advice on how you guys comfort or cheer up your friends. thank you.

It is a long time since I have had friends who would share their worries with me...

I'm not very good at it. I do try, usually I just let them know I'll listen and say comforting words, basically what you already do.
Sometimes I try to cheer them up by making a light joke but that can backfire.
If they have a favorite food or movie sometimes I'll pick that up.

I think just being there for them is good enough..

"Tu es responsable pour toujours de ce que tu as approvoise." Le Renard en "The Little Prince" Antoine de St. Exupery.

falmari: I hope you're right, that my friend will simple appreciate me being there 🙂

well, i'm also only good with numbers and feel awkward when they start to break down, so i listen and give them my honest opinion in a haha way (only when it's a male friend, if it's a girl i just keep quiet and listen)...
...also tell them my experiences with similar things which are often much worse and if not i exaggerate so they feel someone was in a worse situation then they are...
...but first i always think how would i feel in their place and what would make me cheer up (which is lucky star anime, so it's pretty much useless)...but most of the time you can't actually make them feel better with logic, opinions or jokes, you gota be there for them and if they come back with their problems (which is annoying) you've done something right...

other thing is to get drunk and do something stupid

If the sea were made of Whiskey and I was a duck
I'd swim to the bottom and never come up

all I can say is that when people do trust me with their true feelings Im touched that they feel that they can talk to me . and when they do i usually stay silent and when i think its right i make a melancholy joke and it works most of the time

A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal.

Oscar Wilde

Punch them in the chest and tell them to be a man.

Doesn't work if friend has boobs though.

Listen here
Livin just to keep from dyin
[img]http://imagegen.last.fm/TheDarkTen/recenttracks/imgooley.gif[/img]

I'm glad to see that my methods are pretty common amongst others, it makes me feel more deserving to be a friend ^^"

thanks.

@ ahoaho: my male friends usually don't cry out their heart to me... ahaha... ^^

pat on the back, do a sad face, give good advice?

the best security guard, EVER.

I just sit next to them. Than, I try to talk to them little by little. If they start talking to me about what their problem is, than I'll try to help them if I can. But, mostly I think just being there for them would be the best thing to comfort them.

[img]http://i45.tinypic.com/10pvn8y.jpg[/img]
（ﾉﾟ-ﾟ）ﾉ☆どぞ。
Have a star.

Well isn't this too broad of an answer....
Well depend on what the cause of the friend being depress for.
Well if it happen to be a girl usually a hug will do it or just stay by her and if open up to ya just listen and always be there if she needed someone to talk to blah blah blah.
If it is a guy i just give them a good lecture and some hitting ^_^!!! ALWAYS WORK

= Stress is what we Live FOR =

/===CODE OF CONDUCT===~\
|A Life For A Life|

You assume that I actually have friends.

You're unique, just like everyone else.

Quote from twxm

You assume that I actually have friends.

No, she assumes someone among the entire membership has friends. Not necessarily you.

When my friends have a problem I usually try to distract them. Since I'm pretty good at getting things off track and catching people in my flow, I'm usually somewhat successful.

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I'm the same way 🙂 though I usually can't do anything for them, I just sit down and listen or lend them a shoulder to cry on, and hugs usually work for girls 😛 but, I'm not the kind of person who is able to comfort someone 😢

Quote from x0mbiec0rp

When my friends have a problem I usually try to distract them. Since I'm pretty good at getting things off track and catching people in my flow, I'm usually somewhat successful.

thats what i try to do, as well.

but if it doesn't work, i just use my skill with words to comfort them and make them feel better.