There are times we feel low and depressed, everything we come across just seems to take us further down the pit of sorrows and pain. During this period, it is hard to get your spirit motivated to do anything or to feel the joy of living. Advice offered by our support systems might not be enough and we need a daily dose of constant inspiration. Thus, I present to you 7 songs that help me when I am in despair. Hope they get you out of your worries, anxieties, fear, and depression.

• Wanna be Happy? by Kirk Franklin

This song points out how we are responsible for our happiness. It lets you know that you have the strength to be joyful amidst the darkness that surrounds you. Moreover, you have the power to let go of the pain. Favorite part of this song is, “If you’re tired of being the same, If you’re tired of things not changing, It’s time for you to get out the way, Don’t get stuck in how you feel.”

• Brighter Days by Sautisol ft. Soweto Gospel Choir

As a Kenyan, would definitely recommend this song. It speaks to my heart and the struggles we face navigating the murky waters of life. The song sparks hope for a better tomorrow and we all need that assurance that the days to come will be brighter. Favorite part of this song, “Visions of love, from up above, The sun is not too far away.”

• Smile by Kirk Franklin

Now this one will just make you smile regardless of how you feeling. It’s one of those songs you would put on repeat on a bad day. My favorite part is, “It’s so hard (It’s so hard to look up when you been down), Sure would hate (Sure would hate to see you give up now),You look so (You look so much better when you smile, so smile).”

• God Only Knows by For King+Country

Sometimes we try to find answers on why things feel so wrong, broken, or not working out. Believing in the supernatural God who knows why they’re happening helps us let go of the control we try to have on issues. Favorite part in this song is, “God only knows how it’s killing you
But there’s a kind of love that God only knows.”

• Fireworks by Katy Perry

I would say this song just brings out the light in us. It resonates with our insecurities and shows that we can overcome because we hold the power inside. I had such a difficult time choosing my favorite part for this song but this would do,” You don’t have to feel like a waste of space, You’re original, cannot be replaced, If you only knew what the future holds, After a hurricane comes a rainbow
Maybe a reason why all the doors are closed, So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road”

• When You Believe by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston

I feel this song pushes me to hope beyond my current circumstances. Everything changes when we have something to hold onto no matter how abstract it is. Favorite part is, “And it’s easy to give in to your fears, But when you’re blinded by your pain, Can’t see the way, get through the rain, A small but still, resilient voice, Says, help is very near.”

• You Say by Lauren Daigle

Believing in what God says about you; that you’re beautiful, strong, courageous, a chosen one, loved etc. will draw your thoughts away from what the world says about you. Favorite part of the song is, “The only thing that matters now is everything You think of me, In You I find my worth, in You I find my identity.”

Bonus Song – Hero by Mariah Carey

You are somebody’s hero DON’T GIVE UP!