depressing

If you've been at all conscious for literally any part of 2020, you're probably aware that everything has pretty much gone to shit. Between the pandemic, politics, and the general lack of humanity, things have been pretty damn bleak. But in case you need a little more evidence, these cringey and arguably disheartening pictures will definitely help solidify the sad state of the world. Hopefully 2021 will be better.

It is said that Thursday is the new Friday. But what good is that without the sweet release of the last workday of the week? To help you through the endless slogging and pain, we've put together this hefty gallery of mood-enhancing memes. Let's face it: if relatable and dumb humor can't turn your mood around, we don't know what will.

While some people spent April Fool's cataloguing all the brand jokes and PR stunts (ahem, Tubbycoin), DSA Cleveland decided to ask Twitter to share work experiences they wish were jokes. We're guessing that this had something to do with Amazon being under fire for their inhumane work conditions, but there's something about hearing horror stories from other industries that really puts things into perspective. The experiences range from absolutely heartless, to the kind of acceptable shamefulness that people experience every damn day. While we take no pleasure in sharing these bleak realities, it's kind of wrong to keep ignoring the f*ckery that we all deal with to pay the bills. 

Every damn day something about the world comes to light that reminds us what a terribly dystopian situation we're in. Tweets are constantly being posted that deal with everything from healthcare woes to the pitfalls of late-stage capitalism. It's difficult to keep our chins up when everything seems so damn bleak, but it's better to be informed than to live in a state of not-so-blissful ignorance. On the off chance that you want more of these upsetting tweets, you can find them over at r/BoringDystopia.

Ah, the ennui. Working from home and just existing in this messed up world has really upped our level of listlessness. The days drag on. The nights are long and thankless. To fight the depression and boredom, it's good to turn to some easily accessible humor. While some of you might watch The Office for the 10th time, we prefer self-medicating with memes. And we've got a lot of them right here.

If you're feeling like your mental health has declined over the last year, you're not alone. 2020 really made for the magnification of depression and anxiety, and definitely brought out the afflictions in people who had previously been keeping it together. The collective trauma of this period is not something to be downplayed, but there is something to be said for laughing through the pain and relating to one another via the Internet. These memes, which may leave some people feelingpersonally attacked, are just one way to make light of and connect over our shitty shitty brains and circumstances. Here's to keepin' on keepin' it together. 

A lot can happen in a year. You can learn you're pregnant and have a baby within that time span. You can get a divorce or travel the entire globe. Or, if you're like most people trudging along with their lives lately, you can spend a whole year grappling with the effects of a pandemic. Whether you've been working remotely, attempting to homeschool your kids, unemployed, or fighting the virus firsthand in hospitals, this year has taken a toll on everyone. There's the quarantine 15 (or 20), bad haircuts, newfound agoraphobia, and, of course, living much of your social and work life through choppy and unnecessary Zoom calls.

While we were trying not to think about the passing of time and this increasingly depressing period of stasis, people on Twitter are facing the sad truth head on via memes. The glumly relatable memes compare March 1st 2020 and March 1st 2021 with painful accuracy. They're the exact opposite of a glow-up. But at least they're a great reminder that we're far from alone in this monotonous struggle. Fingers crossed things don't get worse by next March. We can't handle seeing a bleak three panel progression.

The internet is a sad, scary place that seems to be brimming with cringe. These cringey pics, however, are a special breed. These embarrassing posts are actually so cringeworthy and sad that they're guaranteed to make you feel more depressed than you already are. If you're into that sort of thing.

Valentine's Day can be great if you're in a relationship, but for the singles out there, it's less than satisfying. These memes are not for the happy couples; if you want that then click here. If you're single, however, grab a glass of wine, start getting drunk, and check out these amusing memes!

Ever just wake up and realize you'd be a lot happier if you could escape this existence and live out the rest of your days floating in a sensory deprivation tank? ...No? Well, we all have our goals in the area of escapism. It's really no surprise, given that 2021 isn't looking much better than 2020. Aging and adulting are worse when you can't enjoy the goof parts of life. But at least we're not alone. These relatable, albeit depressing, memes really say it all regarding our current mental state. Maybe you'll feel seen, too.  

Aren't you glad that we live in an age where going to therapy isn't something to be ashamed of anymore? In fact, we'll go out on a limb and say that most people could get some sort of benefit from seeing a therapist, even if you feel you're "normal." What the hell does "normal" mean, anyway?

A lot of people walk around flaunting "fun facts" and party trivia. But fun facts don't really have a ton of staying power. To really make an impression, you'll want to surprise unsuspecting people with bleak and depressing factoids that will haunt them forever. Redditor u/slayeris471 managed to create an impressive archive of these unfortunate truths when they asked other user simply "What is a NOT fun fact?". The community was happy to oblige. We learned things we can never unlearn, and now we're sharing them with you.