Do you feel sad and don’t know what to do? Do you have doubts if it could be a depressive disorder? Enter and discover tips for managing sadness and the keys to differentiating it from depression.
At some point we have all felt sad and we have asked ourselves what we could do to feel better. The reality is that sadness, although it may be unpleasant to us, is another emotion like joy, anger, etc. However, despite being part of the human condition, surely at some point in your life you have been told “don’t cry”, “don’t be sad” and many other phrases, which, far from helping you, have made you feel guilty. something you couldn’t avoid, sadness. This means that as a society, we do not know how to manage it nor do we know what to say when we see someone who is sad, on the contrary, we end up running away from it or apologizing for feeling bad.
In this article we offer you tips to be able to manage the sadness in a healthy way and to be able to recognize it properly.
As we have already mentioned, sadness is one of the six basic emotions and is perceived as negative since it usually appears after situations that are usually unpleasant, such as, for example, an argument with a loved one, breaking up a relationship, etc. Sadness, like other emotions, is not only felt on an emotional level, but is accompanied by other reactions at different levels (behavioral, cognitive, neurophysiological and biochemical). Therefore, apart from the emotional aspect, it is common for sadness to be accompanied by crying loss of appetite, demotivation, etc.
Like all other emotions, sadness appears with a purpose and that is to protect ourselves from something that is causing us pain, as well as to seek protection through our loved ones. Although it is unpleasant to feel sad, the reality is that sadness is not a bad emotion, but rather it is a normal response to situations that cause us pain and, in most cases, it is temporary.
Feel sad It is not synonymous with having depression, but it is true that when we have been sad for several days, it is common for us to wonder if what is happening to us is depression or if our sadness is rather temporary. Below, you have a list of aspects that will help you differentiate it from the depression:
The duration: Normally, sadness is usually temporary, so it progressively improves as we manage what caused us. pain In this sense, being a normal emotional reaction, it does not in itself indicate the existence of any psychological disorder. On the other hand, depression is a psychological disorder that, although sadness is also involved, occurs most of the day for at least 2 weeks and is accompanied by other symptoms such as, for example, insomnia, Vacuum sensation anhedonia, etc.
The intensity: It is totally normal that when we experience complicated situations, we feel very sad at first and, little by little, the intensity decreases. The depression on the other hand, is characterized by a depressed mood that is persistent and accompanied by feelings of hopelessness and emptiness
The impact on daily life: Without a doubt, we have all experienced some time in our lives when we have felt sad, but we have had to carry out our daily activities. Although it is true that we do not perform as we do every day, the sadness It doesn’t significantly interfere with our day. On the other hand, depression has a negative impact on the life of the person who suffers from it, generating difficulties sleeping, making decisions, lack of energy, changes in appetite, etc.
In short, there are several aspects that can help us differentiate sadness from depression However, it is true that, sometimes, sadness can intensify and last over time and lead to depression. For this reason, it is important to ask for professional help if we begin to notice difficulties in carrying out our daily activities, as well as other symptoms that we did not initially feel.
It is common that when we feel bad we want to end our discomfort, however, it is important to be able to properly manage sadness so as not to run away from it and end up expressing it in other ways. If when You’re sad You don’t really know what to do, the following tips can help you:
Allow yourself to feel the sadness: On many occasions, since sadness is an emotion that generates unpleasant sensations, we try to avoid it at all costs, even convincing ourselves that we are not sad. This ends up having a counterproductive effect, as we do not allow ourselves to feel the pain. Therefore, it is important that you do not repress yourself or try to ignore what causes you pain, as this will only prolong your discomfort. If you I feel like crying, allow yourself to cry and express what worries you. Remember that sadness is a natural reaction to complicated situations.
Find support: It is common that when we feel sad we isolate ourselves and have less desire to interact with others. However, it is important to keep in mind that you do not have to face sadness alone, sharing your feelings with close people can help you feel more emotionally relieved. Furthermore, being able to express what worries you with people you trust can offer you new perspectives and ways to manage what is happening to you.
Take care of yourself: It is common that when we feel emotions that are more unpleasant, we tend to carry out “less healthy” activities. However, these are the moments when we have to take care of ourselves the most and prioritize our emotional and physical well-being. In this sense, one of the activities that you can do to take care of yourself and that, in fact, has been shown to have beneficial effects on our well-being, is physical exercise. In fact, you don’t have to make great efforts to benefit from its effects on your mood, regardless of the exercise you practice and in just a few minutes, you can feel that your mood improves little by little.
Follow a routine: Usually, when we feel that the sadness invades us, we usually make changes in our routine that do not favor us. It is normal that some days we do not feel well and we do not feel like carrying out the activities that we did before. However, it is recommended that little by little we return to the routine we previously had since having a routine can provide us with stability in our daily lives and help us improve our mood.
Do activities that you like: It is normal that when we are there it is difficult for us to find activities that we enjoy, however, spending time on activities that you like can have a positive impact on your mood. Read a book, watch a movie, walk outdoors, etc. can help you find moments of joy in complicated situations.
Writes: Writing can be a powerful tool to manage sadness since we can express what we feel without fear of being judged, in addition to helping us organize our thoughts and be more aware of our own emotions.
As we have mentioned, sadness is an emotion that is usually transitory. However, sometimes it can negatively interfere with our daily lives. When this happens, the most advisable thing is to seek professional help so that they can offer us tools so that we can manage our emotions.
