Most people view sadness as a problem or a negative emotion. Often, sad people try to ignore or mask this mood, but it is a normal emotional reaction to difficult life events. While it feels natural, you should learn how to get it out. This article will help you process what you are going through and move on.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Expressing Your Sadness
Step 1. Give yourself a chance to cry
Don't hesitate to express all your sadness, frustration and despair. Some people find crying to be a liberating gesture. In fact, tears are a physical outlet that helps release emotions. They can also make us relax. According to some research, we get rid of stress hormones through crying. Once you're done crying, lie down on the bed and think about what happened.
If you get nervous while you think, cry again. Nobody will be able to see you, so don't feel embarrassed. Try to get rid of what you are feeling
Step 2. Write what you are feeling in a journal
Go to a quiet place where you have the opportunity to sit and think. Describe in as much detail as possible your state of mind, what is happening and how upset you are. Take your physical sensations into account as well. This way, you will be able to understand your sadness more deeply. If you have a hard time talking about how you are feeling, you might as well try writing a letter addressed to the source of your pain.
If you have vented your emotions but still feel sad, there is a good reason. You probably have yet to process an internal conflict or conflict caused by the situation you are in. The journal can help you clear your feelings and thoughts
Step 3. Dance or listen to a sad song
Some recent research suggests that dancing can relieve certain feelings such as sadness, fatigue, anxiety, and accompanying physical symptoms. You could go to a dance hall or just move to the beat of the music in the house. Studies also show that melancholy songs can come to our aid when we feel sad, because they put us in touch with what we are feeling, giving us the opportunity to process it.
If you are not ready to deal with what aches you, music can be a distraction until you feel you can handle your sadness
Step 4. Create something artistic
Using colors, shapes, shapes and materials of different textures, you can express your creativity and at the same time give vent to your sadness. Art allows you to throw out the bitterness that grips you without using words. Trial:
- Guided imagery. Begin to visualize your feelings. Close your eyes and imagine what appearance, colors and shapes they have. Reopen them and draw the image you saw on a sheet of paper. Don't pay attention to his appearance. Just give free rein to your feelings on paper as they come out.
- The mandalas. They are intricate circles that you can color or paint to get rid of what you are feeling. Search the Internet for a mandala to print. Some people prefer to devote themselves to a more structured art project, such as that of the mandala, to get in touch with their unconscious.
Part 2 of 3: Dealing with Sadness
Step 1. Recognize negative thoughts
Negative thoughts are mostly unfounded considerations about oneself, future situations or events. They can kill positivity and change self-perception. If you can't catch them, you won't be able to defend yourself in a balanced way. A negative view of yourself can lead to depression.
- For example, your sadness may be due to the fact that you have just separated. Keep in mind that most people think negatively after a romantic breakup. They blame themselves for not giving their all in the relationship or they convince themselves that they will be alone.
- If you start believing negative thoughts, your behaviors may also take the same direction. For example, you may stop dating other people because you are convinced that there will be no one else in your life.
Step 2. Find out where your negative thoughts come from
Think about what lies behind a pessimistic reasoning. For example, if you believe you will be alone forever, the underlying concern may be that you don't trust yourself when you meet new people. Although it is not easy to become aware of your feelings, it is important to understand where a negative idea comes from.
- Try to write down your thoughts on a story that you would have preferred to have unfolded differently or that you would have liked to have managed better. Record any signs of sadness and all the events that revolve around this emotion.
- For example, you might be thinking, "I'm a loser because I can't date any girls." This reasoning could be because, deep down, you are sad about your breakup and, as a result, the unfulfilled schedule of dating other girls only feeds your sense of loneliness.
Step 3. Question your pessimism and get rid of it
Just ask yourself if your most negative thoughts correspond to reality. In this way, you will realize that most of the time they have no credibility and that they are mere reactions. To question your negativity and get rid of it, also try asking yourself the following questions:
- In your opinion, why does this reasoning correspond to reality? What facts is it based on? Probable answer: "I don't know how to invite a person out. I'm out of practice."
- What are your reactions to the hypothesis of a negative scenario (actions, feelings and other emotions)? Probable answer: "I'm afraid to invite someone to go out with me."
- To what extent would the absence of a certain thought change your behaviors? Probable answer: "I don't have to be afraid. Rather, when I feel ready, I have to try to invite someone out."
Step 4. Respect how you feel
Give yourself a chance to be sad so you won't be tempted to repress your feelings. Accepting your emotions is the first step in letting go of sadness. There is a reason you are sad, so you have to admit that you are in pain. This way, you can begin to free yourself. If you have a hard time accepting what you feel, try writing or saying aloud:
- "I'm sad when ………………………. It's normal".
- "I allow myself the opportunity to be sad when …….".
Step 5. Don't allow anyone to belittle what you are feeling
Often family and friends try to comfort you and only for your own good they tell you that sadness will pass and that happier times will come. Despite good intentions, this behavior can detract from a legitimate sense of sadness. In these cases, respond by saying that you appreciate their intentions, but that you are down in the dumps and need time to process your sadness.
For example, if you have just separated from your partner and a friend tells you that you will now have more time at your disposal, you might tell them that you need to digest what you are feeling first
Part 3 of 3: Overcoming the Sadness
Step 1. Exercise your optimism by making positive sentences
Remember your personal qualities and all that you have achieved so far. Alternatively, you could recall some nice quotes that matter to you. Grab a sheet of paper and write it all down on a list to keep handy whenever you feel sad. According to some research, it is possible to foster and safeguard optimism by carrying a reminder of positive thoughts.
To fuel your positivity, try writing hopeful phrases on a few slips of paper to keep in your wallet, save on your phone, or put on your computer screen saver
Step 2. Spend your time talking to others
Surround yourself with friends and family who understand your state of mind. Explain how you feel and see if confiding in them helps you. They will probably try to lift your mood. Never forget that you have every right to express your sadness and that you need time to process it.
Try reaching out to someone you trust, whether they are wise or older. He will use his life experiences to advise you and help you overcome this moment of sadness
Step 3. Distract yourself by engaging in something beautiful
It is easy to focus on negativity and forget that there are more pleasant emotions, such as contentment, serenity, enthusiasm, joy, vitality, and so on. Find a time to jot down your happiest memories. This reminder will help you be optimistic. You can also distract yourself from negative feelings by doing something fun or constructive. Try to:
- Dye your hair;
- Prepare a cup of tea;
- Count to 500 or 1000;
- Finish a puzzle or game that keeps the mind busy
- Go somewhere to people watch;
- Playing a musical instrument;
- Watch TV or a movie;
- Apply the polish on the nails;
- Tidying up the books, the wardrobe, etc.;
- Making origami in order to keep your hands busy;
- Be active: play a sport, go for a walk or work out.
Step 4. Know when to see a professional
If you have been dragging yourself into a state of sadness for more than a month, you are probably depressed and need the help or advice of a mental health professional. Symptoms of depression are far more severe than sadness and include: complete loss of interest in activities that once provided pleasure, irritability, agitation, decreased sex drive, difficulty concentrating, sleep disturbances, and constant tiredness. If you are contemplating suicide, seek help immediately: go to the emergency room, call 118 or Telefono Amico at 199-284-284. Among the signs that indicate an intention to commit suicide, consider:
- Threats of suicide or speeches on this subject, but also searches on the Internet to put it into action;
- Statements that indicate disinterest in everything or suggest an imminent demise;
- Statements about feeling like a burden to others;
- Feeling of being trapped
- Uncontrollable pain sensation;
- Giving away personal belongings, making a will or making arrangements for a funeral;
- Purchase of a pistol or other weapon;
- Sudden and unexplained euphoria or calm after a period of depression.
Advice
- Call someone who could give you advice. If there is no one you can rely on, call a phone line to help you overcome emotional tensions.
- If you're having a personal problem, step aside and hug a stuffed animal.
