It happens to feel sad every now and then. Sadness, which can range from a simple state of melancholy to clinical depression, has the ability to affect mood, thoughts and behavior. If it is mild, it is normal, but if it lasts it risks compromising physical and emotional health. However, it can be managed by changing your mental patterns, changing your lifestyle, or by contacting a mental health professional. Read the section of this article titled "When to Try These Methods?" to get a clearer idea of the situations in which to put the sadness aside.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Changing Your Mind Patterns
Step 1. Learn not to ruminate
The so-called "rumination" (from the English rumination) is a cognitive process characterized by the recursion of negative thoughts. It causes you to retrace a conversation or bring back a bad memory to the point that you become obsessed with it. The more you think about it, the worse you feel. If it is excessive, it can promote depression. Try quitting in the following ways:
- Try to solve the problems you tend to mull over. For example, if you are constantly thinking that you are missing a job, make a list of steps to take in order to find it and start practicing all the steps you have outlined.
- Engage in positive self-reflection. If you constantly think about your flaws, stop and try to appreciate yourself. For example, you might think, "I did a great job on this project" or "I did my best in that conversation."
Step 2. Learn to forgive
The fact of holding a grudge and always judging yourself from a negative perspective can exacerbate the sense of sadness. If you can forgive and put some situations behind you, you will be able to welcome happiness into your life.
- Forgiveness weakens negative attitudes leaving room for positive ones. It also reduces stress, which risks making sadness worse, and nurtures calm and serenity.
- Studies are currently underway to understand if and in what way it is possible to learn to forgive; undoubtedly psychotherapy, the ability to accept apologies and the restoration of the damage suffered help people to proceed towards forgiveness.
Step 3. Manage your stress
Stress can promote sadness. If you can, avoid stressful situations so that you can begin to overcome this feeling.
- By organizing your day and finding time to relax, you will be able to relieve stress and avoid unnecessary problems.
- If you can, take a step back in the most stressful situations, otherwise try to breathe deeply avoiding immediate reactions, so that the tension and sensations of the moment do not unnecessarily take over.
Step 4. Look on the bright side
Negative thoughts and attitudes risk increasing sadness and a sense of isolation. By finding positive aspects in yourself, in others and in various circumstances, you can fight the despondency.
- Even in the worst situations there is always something good. It will probably take a while to notice, but if you are able to see it, you can protect yourself from the negative feelings that invade your mind when you are sad.
- According to a study, positive attitude favors success more than any other component, including personal skills and abilities.
Step 5. Surround yourself with positive and happy people
Often, those who can offer support can also put things in perspective and help you feel less sad. If you can, hang out with groups or single friends who have a positive outlook on life.
Step 6. Train regularly
Practiced consistently, sport is good for both physical and mental health because it increases the levels of serotonin in the brain. Try to train every day to stop feeling sad.
- Even a little movement is enough to lift the mood. For example, a ten-minute walk can relax you and give you a chance to consider all the best aspects of your life.
- Exercise allows the body to produce endorphins, thereby improving mood and sleep quality.
Step 7. Consider meditating every day
Meditation is an effective method to improve concentration and psychophysical relaxation. So, take a few minutes each day for this practice as it can help you overcome sadness.
- Meditation forces you to unplug. During the meditation sessions, you will learn to concentrate, relax and perhaps enjoy a feeling of serenity.
- Start with 5-10 minutes of daily meditation and gradually increase the time as you become familiar with this practice.
- Find a quiet, comfortable place where you don't risk being interrupted. By eliminating any distractions, you will be able to focus more easily on your breath and let go of any sad thoughts or feelings that may arise.
- Sit with your back straight and close your eyes. It is essential to assume a correct posture for meditating. It allows the air you breathe in and blood to move around your body, helping the brain to focus. By keeping your eyes closed, you will avoid getting distracted.
- Breathe naturally and evenly. Don't control your breath, but let air in and out of your body freely. To encourage concentration, try to focus exclusively on the breath by saying "in" when you inhale and "come out" when you exhale.
Step 8. Give yourself a massage
The sadness and the resulting tension favor the onset of physical changes. A massage is able to relieve tension and stimulate the production of oxytocin, a hormone that favors the psychological and emotional mechanisms linked to social relationships. Whether done by a professional or at home, it could lift your mood and make you feel better.
- There are various massages, but any kind of contact can be beneficial.
- You can find a qualified massage therapist on the Internet or ask your doctor for advice.
- If you don't have the option to go to a professional, don't give up. You can also relax and feel better by massaging your face and ears yourself.
Step 9. Eat right
Poor nutrition can increase sadness and depression. Healthy foods not only promote general well-being, but help combat despondency and stress.
- For example, asparagus helps relieve stress because it improves mood thanks to folic acid.
- Foods rich in B vitamins, such as avocado, also help reduce stress and, consequently, sadness.
- A glass of warm milk fights insomnia and anxiety which, on the other hand, risk exacerbating the discomfort.
Step 10. Avoid alcoholic beverages and drugs
It is best to avoid alcohol and recreational drugs. Using these drugs can make you feel better momentarily, but in the long run they won't help - they will complicate your depression treatment.
Step 11. Get enough sleep
Sleep is necessary to maintain physical and mental health. If you want to relieve sadness, try to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night.
- Stress and depression are negative consequences of sleep deprivation.
- A 20-30 minute nap is also a cure-all. However, keep in mind that prolonged naps or long sleeps after hours can be symptoms of severe depression.
Part 2 of 4: Learning to Handle Sadness
Step 1. Reflect on why you are sad
Sadness is a normal reaction to various life events and situations. You can suffer enormously when you lose a loved one, if your feelings are trampled on or if things don't go your way. Tracing the cause of your sadness is a process that helps to process this state of mind and manage it in a healthy way. Here are some of the most common reasons why you feel sad:
- End of a friendship or other important relationship
- Death of a loved one or romantic breakup;
- Bullying;
- Low self-esteem;
- Learn about dramatic news.
Step 2. Analyze your mood when you are sad
Sadness is not a pleasant feeling, so it is normal to try to chase it away instead of pausing and taking a closer look at the situation. However, by learning to recognize it, you will be able to isolate it from other emotions. Looking it straight in the face, you'll know when it appears and when it disappears, so you'll be able to control it more easily.
- You could somatize this feeling: maragi your legs and arms feel heavy or you feel an unpleasant sensation in your belly. You can also feel lethargic.
- Try turning it into an image. Surely you have heard the expression "on the wave of sadness" used. Try to imagine it your way. It could be a giant wave or a deep, dark lake. If nothing comes to mind, you could draw the mood it generates within you.
Step 3. Learn to accept it and wait for it to pass
Recognize when it arrives and try to welcome it instead of pushing it away. Let yourself be overwhelmed without resisting. Think about what makes you unhappy and remember that every feeling is legitimate.
- Typically, sadness lasts only a few minutes or longer, depending on the cause.
- During the elaboration process, learn to understand when the sadness disappears. Notice the moments when you start to feel a little lighter and experience other emotions.
Step 4. Come up with a plan for times when you feel sad
When you fall into despair, remember that sadness is a wavering feeling that comes and goes like everyone else. It can be useful to have a schedule that you organize your days during and after these moments so that you have the feeling of being able to manage it.
- As soon as you start to feel sad, go to a place where you can be alone. Then bring to mind the image of sadness you created: a wave, a lake or any other representation. Give yourself the opportunity to fully feel this state of mind.
- Plan something when it starts to fade away. You can call a friend, go for a walk, or try your hand at anything that helps put it behind you.
Step 5. Recognize the symptoms of depression
When sadness doesn't go away and gives way to other emotions, it could indicate a more serious problem. Depression is a disorder characterized by an excessive lowering of the mood that lasts more than two weeks, compromising the quality of life. In these cases, it is not enough to process sadness to effectively manage one's mood. The best way to control it is to make lifestyle changes and seek the help of a mental health professional. If you have depression, you may have one or more symptoms, including:
- Feeling of anxiety and sadness
- Feeling of worthlessness or low self-esteem
- Negative mental patterns and a sense of hopelessness;
- Loss of energy;
- Change in appetite and body weight
- Disturbances in the circadian rhythm of sleep;
- Suicidal thoughts.
Part 3 of 4: Seeking Professional Assistance
Step 1. Consult a psychotherapist or psychologist
If you can't overcome sadness on your own, talk to a mental health professional. He will collaborate with you by teaching you new ways of thinking and facing reality. Cognitive-behavioral therapy has been shown to provide depressed people with useful tools to manage their malaise.
- This approach proposes the use of techniques that help patients focus on the present rather than being carried away by negative thoughts.
- It is a therapeutic method that can also be used in combination with drugs.
Step 2. Contact a psychiatrist to find out about antidepressants
In some cases, people who are sad or depressed begin to feel better on medication. Antidepressants help relieve sadness and depression when they become chronic.
- Your doctor may prescribe a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), including fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline, citalopram, and escitalopram. Typically, these types of drugs cause fewer side effects than other antidepressants.
- Alternatively, he may prescribe a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), including duloxetine, venlafaxine, desvenlafaxine, and milnacipran.
- Normally, noradrenaline-dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRIs), such as bupropion, do not affect sexual desire like other antidepressants.
- Tricyclic antidepressants are usually prescribed when other antidepressants are not effective. Imipramine, nortriptyline, amitriptyline, doxepin, trimipramine, desipramine and protriptyline can trigger important side effects.
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are the latest line of antidepressant treatment. Tranylcypromine, phenelzine, and isocarboxazid are prescribed when no other drug is effective. Remember that they can have serious side effects.
Step 3. Consider alternative therapies
If medications and lifestyle changes don't work, you can consider other treatment options with your doctor. There is a range of alternative treatments, ranging from hospitalization to transcranial magnetic stimulation, that can help you combat sadness.
- If you are unable to take care of yourself, your doctor may offer hospitalization or outpatient treatment to help you cope with depression.
- Electroconvulsive therapy (TEC) is a therapeutic technique used in psychiatry which consists in inducing convulsions in the patient by passing an electric current through the brain to improve its functionality. It has few side effects and can immediately relieve the most severe forms of depression.
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) may be an option for patients who are unresponsive to antidepressants. It consists of a series of coils, or electrodes, which placed on the head generate a magnetic field that stimulates the nerve cells involved in mood regulation.
Part 4 of 4: When To Try These Methods?
Step 1. Drive away the sadness when you want to experience other emotions
Sadness is an unpleasant feeling, so it's normal for you to want to push it away to feel happy again. This is usually easier said than done, but sometimes you just need to change your perspective. If you feel at a dead end and are ready to open the windows to let in some light, try different techniques to defeat the sadness.
Step 2. Put the despondency behind you
When you feel low about a problem or something that has happened, it's hard to make the sadness go away. If you take the time to process it, the load should begin to lighten. To defeat her more quickly, try to keep yourself healthy, let off steam, and use other methods that help lift your mood. It will go away when it has run its course.
Step 3. Don't ignore it if it doesn't abandon you
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you can't stop feeling sad. By distracting yourself or trying to evade this state of mind, you risk only making the situation worse. If you have been in the grip of despair for a long time without understanding why or can't find a way out, talk to someone who can help you. While there is probably no quick fix, the best way to defeat it in the long term is to embark on a process of working through the problem with the help of a trained psychotherapist.
