[header] How to show compassion to others when you have depression [title] Get in touch with your empathy. [step] Depression can lessen your ability to feel empathy by making you feel numb and disconnected from other people. However, being empathetic is an important part of becoming compassionate. 
To strengthen your empathy muscle, imagine someone you love feeling sad or in pain, and try to capture that emotion in yourself. [substeps] For a more advanced empathy exercise, imagine the pain of a stranger instead of someone you already care about.