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In this thoroughly revised and updated classic, a renowned psychologist shows that mourning is far from predictable, and all of us share a surprising ability to be resilient , psychologist and emotions expert George Bonanno argues otherwise. Our inborn emotions--anger and denial, but also relief and joy--help us deal effectively with loss. To expect or require only grief-stricken behavior from the bereaved does them harm. In fact, grieving goes beyond mere sadness, and it can actually deepen interpersonal connections and even lead to a new sense of meaning in life.

The conventional view of grieving--encapsulated by the famous five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance--is defined by a mourning process that we can only hope to accept and endure.

In The Other Side of Sadness

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The Other Side of Sadness: What the New Science of Bereavement Tells Us About Life After Loss

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The Other Side of Sadness: What the New Science of Bereavement Tells Us About Life After Loss [Bonanno, George A.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Other Side of Sadness: What the New Science of Bereavement Tells Us About Life After Loss

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WeeFeel: Sadness || Emotional Awareness & Self-Regulation Techniques for Kids

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Sadness is a natural emotion that everyone experiences at various times in their life. Feeling sad for no reason may be related to hormonal changes, lack of sleep, stress, or other factors.

Sadness can affect people in different ways. People may want to cry, spend time alone, or do other comfort-related activities until they feel happier.

Occasional sadness is normal. However, feeling sad for more than 2 weeks, or sadness affecting everyday functioning, may indicate a more serious underlying cause, such as depression.

This article explores why a person may feel sad for no apparent reason, tips for feeling happier, and when to speak with a doctor about feeling sad.

Fluctuations in hormones can significantly affect a person's mood and sometimes lead to unexplained sadness.

Hormonal changes in the menstrual cycle, including fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone, someone's mood each month. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and can make a person feel sad at the start of menstruation.

According to the Office on Women's Health, feelings of sadness, known as the baby blues, typically last a few days after birth and occur due to hormonal fluctuations coupled with new challenges.

However, if sadness persists for longer than 2 weeks, the person may have postpartum depression. Depression after pregnancy affects 1 in 8 people that give birth.

People going through puberty also experience hormonal changes, which may cause them to feel sad. These hormone shifts are a natural part of adolescence and can vary in intensity from one person to another.

Symptoms

Hormonal changes can cause the following symptoms:

Treatment

Treatment options for sadness due to hormone fluctuations may involve talk therapy, support groups, and, in some people, medication.

Sleep is essential for emotional well-being. Lack of sleep feelings of worry, frustration, and anger, among other emotions.

Chronic sleep deprivation can alter brain activity and make it difficult to control emotions and cope with daily problems.

Symptoms

Signs that someone is not getting enough sleep may include the following:

Treatment

Establishing good sleep habits may help a person experiencing sadness and other mood changes due to lack of sleep. These may include:

going to bed and waking up at the same time each day

having an hour of quiet before bed

avoiding heavy meals or alcohol before bed

decreasing caffeine and nicotine intake

keeping the bedroom quiet, dark, and cool

limiting naps, especially later in the day

Life always has some level of stress, but sometimes, a person may experience events that cause higher levels of stress. Excessive stress can cause someone to feel unexplained sadness and other negative emotions.

Symptoms

Signs that someone might be feeling high levels of stress include the following:

feelings of anger, worry, numbness, or sadness

changes in appetite

difficulty concentrating

difficulty sleeping or having nightmares

stomach problems or headaches

Treatment

The following lifestyle changes someone cope with stress:

Grief is a natural reaction to experiencing loss. The loss may be the death of a loved one, ending a close relationship, or going through a major life change.

Having a wide range of emotions, including sadness, during this time is common.

Symptoms

As well as feelings of sadness, signs of grief can include:

dramatic changes in mood

feeling tired or experiencing low energy

changes in sleep patterns

changes in appetite

Treatment

Grief may linger for a while. Here are some possible ways a person can work through grief:

allowing time to grieve

talking about feelings with trusted people

maintaining a daily routine

taking time to honor a lost loved one

getting help from a professional

As the days shorten and temperatures drop, some people may experience winter blues. The change in season may bring on feelings of sadness, shortened tempers, and feelings of lethargy.

While these feelings can be temporary, some people may experience extreme sadness to the point that it becomes disabling.

Experts call this seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that lasts during the winter season and goes away during the rest of the year.

Symptoms

Sadness due to seasonal changes may result in the following symptoms when winter arrives:

lethargy

sadness

craving and eating more sweets

trouble sleeping

Treatment

The American Psychological Association recommends the following tips to cope with seasonal sadness:

try to get as much exposure to daylight as possible

eat a balanced diet

get regular physical activity

connect with loved ones

seek professional help

Unexplained sadness that lasts more than 2 weeks may be a symptom of an underlying medical condition. Mental health conditions that may cause sadness include:

Mental illness can affect anyone at any age. These conditions can affect a person's mood, thinking, and behaviors. They can also impact a person's day-to-day living and personal relationships.

Symptoms

Each mental illness has unique symptoms, but here are some common generalized symptoms.

excessive fear or worrying

trouble concentrating or confusion

extreme mood changes

trouble relating to people

changes in sleep habits and energy levels

isolation

Treatment

Treating mental disorders may involve talking with a professional, taking medications, and participating in therapy.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NAMI), self-care can help a person improve their emotional and mental well-being. The following self-care tips may help someone feel happier:

getting regular exercise

participating in relaxing activities, such as meditation or breathing exercises

eating regular meals and following a balanced diet

prioritizing sleep

setting priorities and goals

practicing gratitude

staying connected with people

Feeling sad on occasion is a normal part of life. However, a person should not ignore sadness that is persistent and unexplainable.

If someone experiences prolonged or severe sadness, they should speak with a healthcare professional. People should contact a doctor if they are experiencing:

sadness lasting longer than 2 weeks

thoughts of self-inflicted injury or suicide

difficulty functioning in daily life

Unexplained sadness can have a variety of causes, including hormonal changes, lack of sleep, stress, and other factors. Recognizing the symptoms and seeking appropriate treatment and support is essential for improving a person's well-being.

By addressing the root causes and implementing healthy coping strategies, people can overcome unexplained sadness and lead happier lives.

A person should seek professional help if they are experiencing severe sadness or sadness lasting longer than 2 weeks.

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Feeling sad for no reason: Potential causes and when to get help

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Feeling sad for no reason may occur due to stress, sleep deprivation, grief, and more. Learn potential causes, how to boost mood, and when to seek help here.

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Bubble improves teen mental health through enhanced connections with parents and caregivers, using evidence-based interactions and coaching.

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Michael Rosen's Sad Book [Rosen, Michael, Blake, Quentin] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Michael Rosen's Sad Book

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How to Be Sad: Everything I’ve Learned About Getting Happier by Being Sad

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How to Be Sad: Everything I’ve Learned About Getting Happier by Being Sad [Russell, Helen] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. How to Be Sad: Everything I’ve Learned About Getting Happier by Being Sad

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The main reasons I began this blog was to help others - so here's a blog post for anyone's who's feeling sad: Here are 34 things to do when you are sad.

I may not know the reason behind your sadness, but I hope you find something that can help you in some way.

1. Create Art / DIY crafts

It's not about creating something good enough to be seen and complimented on by others.

Create for the sake of creating - do it for yourself.

Do it to have fun and lose yourself in creating something with your bare hands. For example:

Create a Painting
Draw Something
Make a Bath Bomb
Create a Clay Sculpture

For more, try these blog posts: 50 Irresistible Craft Ideas to Make (And Sell... only if you want to!) or 30 Cool & Easy Things to Draw

2. Listen to Beautiful Music

Listen to your favorite songs. Whenever I feel sad, this is an absolute must for me. Music really does help to soothe a sad soul.

3. Dance to Your Favorite Songs

As you're listening to your favorite songs, dance along to them too!

4. Write in a Journal

Writing in a journal is a great way to cope with one's sadness: It acts almost as if you are sharing your thoughts with someone else, except it's private place just for you.

It also helps you physically see where your thoughts go so that you can find ways to better understand your thoughts and emotions.

Read my blog post for more: Stream of Consciousness in Journaling

5. Read a Book

Books are the best way to go for a little escape from reality. One book I highly recommend for those feeling sad is The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo.

It's filled with 365 short chapters for each day of the year.

Each chapter is a short story about 1-3 pages that teaches something eye-opening about life.

Plus, his writing is absolutely beautiful... there is at least one quote I underline on each page. This is definitely one of those books everybody should read at least once in their life.

6. Watch Motivational Youtube Videos

When you don't know what to do when you're sad, try searching for some motivational videos on Youtube. There are a ton - but here are some of my favorites:

7. Acts of Kindness

Be kind to everyone you see today and help others who need help.

Being kind helps everyone feel great: Both you and the people around you. And I'm one to believe that when you bring kindness to the world around you, the world has a way of bringing kindness back to you.

8. Forgive
Stop dwelling on the negative.
Forgive others. Forgive yourself. And move on from the cause of your sadness. Let it all go.

Nothing lasts forever and everything is small in comparison to this huge world and life we are given. So let it go and move forwards. Stop dwelling.

9. Get to Know Yourself

Sometimes the best thing to do when we're sad is to go inwards and stop avoiding the sadness.

Sit yourself down with some coffee or tea, a notebook, and have a conversation with yourself.

Sometimes we get so caught up trying to learn about the world around us that we completely ignore what is going on inside ourselves.

Read this blog post for 100 Questions to Ask Yourself for Self Growth

10. Pretty Yourself Up

Change up your outfit for the day. Get a haircut or trim up your bangs. Try out a new makeup look. Use a new perfume.

I know that when I get sad, I tend to look like a bum... Spending a little bit more time pampering yourself can help change your perspective a little and turn the day around for the better.

11. Visit a New Cafe!

I'm not sure if you're a coffee or tea person, but I love drinking a nice, cozy cup of coffee to lift my mood up.

12. Take a Walk or Ride Your Bike

If you're feeling sad, get out there and experience a change in scenery. Watch the clouds, take in the trees, and just enjoy a good walk or bike ride. Even if it's just up and down your street - do it.

Going outside for a walk does wonders to help elevate one's emotional state.

For me, listening to my favorite songs while going for a walk is sublime... sometimes I feel as if want to walk forever because the feeling is just that great.

13. Develop your Self Awareness

If you know your sadness is a more deeply rooted issue, developing one's self awareness is going to be the first step you're going to want to take in overcoming your sadness.

Read my blog post: 8 Steps to Be More Self Aware

14. Set Goals. Create change.

Setting goals for yourself and working on them can help your overall state of mind by taking that first step towards change.

Your goals should be small and easy to accomplish, but as you keep working on them, you'll be closer and closer to where you want to be in the future.

The only person who can change the course of your life is yourself. So take action and create change.

15. Do Something You've Always Wanted to Do

Be a little adventurous.

Is there something you've wanted to do lately or some place you've always wanted to go but never made the time to go there? Well, now's your chance to do it!

Experiencing something new is a great way to put the sadness behind you and put life into a new perspective. Go on an adventure!

16. Spend Some Time with Animals

No matter how we're feelings, animals just have a way of making us happy again.

Spend some time out in nature observing wildlife.

Volunteer at a local animal shelter or wildlife rehabilitation center.

Even just petting someone else's dog or seeing dogs enjoy their walks can really brighten my day.

17. Buy Something that Makes you Happy

Go to a local thrift store or find a new boutique somewhere - And buy something that makes you happy.

It's the element of surprise, plus the little quirkiness and cute that makes finding that item to special.

I love going to thrift stores and finding treasures and beautiful unique items that I wouldn't be able to find otherwise.

18. Hang Out with Your Friends!

Whenever you're sad, go spend some time with your friends.

Talk it out with them... Or even if you don't, spending time with them just takes you away from your sad emotions and helps brings a smile to your face.

19. Meet New People

Even just meeting one new person and getting to know a small part of them can be a really eye-opening experience.

We learn something new from every person we meet and I'm one to believe that we meet people for a reason ... every single one of them.

So go and get to know someone new - Make a friend - and see what little lessons the world has for you in every person you meet.

20. Eat Out at a New Restaurant

Whether it's some greasy fast food or a fancy new restaurant that opened in town, try eating out.

Enjoying new food can really help bring a smile to your face.

21. Cry

It's okay to cry.

I know a lot of people really hate to cry, but sometimes you just got to cry.

All that sadness has got to go somewhere - so let it out.

22. Clean Up / Organize Your Space

A cluttered room can really add on to the negative emotions inside you and make them worse.

Try cleaning up or organizing the space around you - It can really help you feel fresh to start off anew.

23. Explore the Magical Outdoors!

Exploring the great outdoors is a magical, yet very humbling experience for everyone.

Go visit your local park, the mountains, a field, the beach, a river, or the desert. It's one of the best solutions for a sad heart.

24. Meditate

Close your eyes. Breathe. Let the thoughts fade out and solely focus on the task of breathing.

And you don't even have to meditate on your breathing. You can go outside and focus solely on being outside. You can listen to music and solely focus on that music.

Focus on the present moment and live in the calmness that comes when you let your thoughts fade away.

25. Make Your Favorite Food (And Eat It)

Comfort food is the best 🙂 Especially when you eat it while watching your favorite Youtube channel or television show. Try whipping up your favorite comfort food and then relax and relish the taste of your food.

26. Buy Flowers for Yourself

This may be strange - but try buying flowers for yourself. Or go outside and pick some flowers from the yard or a nearby field.

Cherish the little things of beauty you bring into your life and let it bring an extra moment of happiness into your everyday life.

27. Change Your perspective

You are perfect as you are - in this place and in this time. No matter what paths you could have taken in your past, you are without a doubt meant to be here.

There is a reason for everything in life, and because you are here, you are learning, growing, and evolving just as you are supposed to be.

28. Wake Up Early

Try waking up earlier: Waking up early can help you feel more energized and get more accomplished earlier in the day.

Sometimes my best, most productive, or even life-changing days begin when I wake up at 4 o'clock.

Sometimes I don't even know what I'm going to do at 4 o'clock in the morning, but the things I end up doing wouldn't have been able to happen if I woke up at my usual time.

If you want to change your life around, waking up even a little bit earlier can really change your life around in a total 360.

29. Exercise

A great thing to do when you're sad is to exercise: It helps you go to sleep, reduce stress, increase your energy levels, and most of all - helps you feel happier.

If you're looking for some quick exercises you can do at home, try doing a couple of exercises from Blogilates on Youtube. Here is her 8 min at Home Cardio Workout video.

30. Smile

Some days are just hard to even force a smile on your face, but do it anyways! Smiling to yourself or smiling for others can really help change the outlook of the day.

31. Take a Break from Social Media

When life gets a bit overwhelming, it can be a good idea to take a break from social media.

I know many of us have our social media as practically a part of ourselves, but really... it's not.

32. Write About What You Love About Yourself

When you're sad, it can be really helpful to write a list about everything you love about yourself.

Remind yourself of these things everyday while building onto that list. Recognize the good - and remember what an amazing person you are, no matter what may be happening to you right now. You are amazing.

33. End the Procrastination!

Do what you need to do. Is there one thing in your life that you have an inkling of a feeling you should try, but the easy thing to do is avoid it?: To keep living life as you are living it now?

If you want change, you're going to have to be the one to bring about that change yourself.

So - go on. We have a long life to live - spend it chasing your passions.

34. Ask for Help

Ask for help, whether it be from a friend or a professional.

A heart-to-heart session is very much-needed in this day and age, so don't be afraid to ask.

Everybody needs help in one way or another - No matter who you are, you just simply can't do everything alone.

It's hard to find any one solution to our sadness, but I hope you are one step closer to figuring out what will help you overcome your own sadness.

Related Reads:
100 Life Lesson I've Learned
How I Overcame My Social Anxiety
61 Simple Daily Reminders

If you found this post helpful, feel free to like, comment or share this post down below. Thank you for reading and until next time my lovely readers xx

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34 Things to Do When You're Sad - Self Care Tips

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The main reasons I began this blog was to help others - so here's a blog post for anyone's who's feeling sad: Here are 34 things to do when you are sad. I may not know the reason behind your sadness, but I hope you find something that can help you in some way.

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Helping kids understand and cope with sad feelings

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Sadness is one of the basic emotions, along with fear, anger, joy, and surprise.. None of us are exempt from feeling sad, including our children. The loss of a loved one, an unforeseen circumstance or a missed opportunity can all leave us feeling sad. Managing emotions can be especially hard for children if they can't express how they are feeling. Here we learn some common manifestations of sadness in children, and ways in which we can help them to work through their feelings.

Learning to express how we feel

As it is, we live in a culture that does not support pain. If from a very young age, we were taught to express and validate all the different shades of emotion, we would have greater capacity to face sadness without falling into depression, and have a better toolbox to face anger without becoming violent.

How does sadness manifest in kids?

When children feel sad they may be irritable, agitated, aggressive or hyperactive. On the other hand they may seem discouraged, withdrawn or reluctant to participate in activities that previously gave them pleasure. They may not want to join in a game, or they may give up very easily, even when encountering the least difficulty. We may notice them sleeping less or much more than usual, or see sudden changes in eating habits such as a loss of appetite.

Storyberries offers practical suggestions for helping children cope with sadness, as well as free online children's books about different emotions, including sadness.

Naming emotions
Helping children identify their emotions by naming the emotions, and giving words for how they feel: "I understand that you feel sad ..." or, ""This situation must have made you feel bad."

Little by little children can be helped to recognize that there are words for what they are feeling, and that their feelings can be named and made sense of. This helps children to organise their experiences in their minds.

It's okay to not feel okay
Making it okay to feel sad: we can explain that although sadness doesn't feel good, it is normal to feel it from time to time, and that everyone, without exception, feels like this when they lose something, when they feel lonely or rejected, when they feel like they've done something wrong, or when something unpleasant happens.

Expressing how we feel in healthy ways
Expressing our own emotions in healthy ways so children can copy us: instead of hiding our feelings, phrases like: "I feel angry about what you did", "Let's talk another time, I am very upset ..." or "I feel sad about the situation" are very powerful. In this way we show sadness to be a passing emotion, a temporary state of mind that does not go beyond a day or two at the most.

Encouraging kids to talk
Helping kids to identify negative thoughts. Storybooks are a really good way to discuss feelings, and so too is drawing. Listening and encouraging children to express their sadness and fears allows them to understand that we are all vulnerable, and that feeling sad or afraid does not equate to being weak.

Sadness also shows up in different ways in children, so when confronted with undesirable or unexpected behaviour, it helps if we can maintain a listening attitude. This allows us space to think, and to find out what is happening.

Validating and empowering
Validate feelings by recognising the sadness as real, and avoid downplaying (with phrases like "come on, this is nothing, it is just nonsense, do not get like that", "go on, you're whining again", or "quit now.")

Help find a solution: most problems have a solution, so as parents we can try to guide the child back to a state of serenity and happiness.

Resourcing kids for the future
When we are able to recognize the sadness that our kids face, and when we make it easier for them to express what they feel, we help to calm and lessen the heavy feeling. Doing so also helps children develop their own resources for managing emotions and staying calm, which can help them in the future.

Please note that if a child continues to seem very unhappy, to behave in ways that are challenging or uncharacteristic, or if you are still worried, it's a good idea to seek professional help.

Some Free Books About Sadness At Storyberries
Article by Luzmery M. Romero Gamboa and Fleur Rodgers
Luzmery works in the area of clinical psychology as a psychotherapist for children, adolescents and families. Since 2016, she has run a Psychological Center in Venezuela called Psicoluz. She offers workshop facilitations to parents, is involved in recreational activities for children, and has been working as a freelancer since 2017 performing online psychotherapy.

Fleur is a meditation teacher in France and uses a compassion and loving-kindness based approach to meditation and slow-minded living. Fleur posts regularly to Instagram @rodgers.fleur . She has two children, is a qualified teacher in adult education and is the founder of Timeouttobreathe.com

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Parenting Portal | How To Teach Kids Teamwork | Bedtime Stories

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Sadness is one of the basic emotions, along with fear, anger, joy, and surprise.. None of us are exempt from feeling sad, including our children. The loss of a loved one, an unforeseen circumstance or a missed opportunity can all leave us feeling sad.

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Sadness is integral to the human experience - so why do we often push it away?

Sadness probably isn't one of your favorite feelings, but it's still a valuable emotion, and it's OK to be sad. While it might be uncomfortable, letting sadness in can come with many benefits.

It's common to label sadness as a "negative" emotion and avoid it as a result. You might find yourself using distractions, like browsing your phone or snacking when you're not hungry, to keep that heavy feeling in your chest at bay.

Sometimes, avoiding sadness can even look like lashing out when someone brings up a topic that's sensitive to you.

Avoiding sadness can also come with a side helping of toxic positivity. Toxic positivity is when you banish difficult emotions and only acknowledge more favorable ones, like happiness. It can seem helpful, but toxic positivity may cost you your authenticity and take an emotional toll.

While running from sadness can keep you stuck in a rut, acknowledging and processing it can make it easier to move forward meaningfully in life.

Letting yourself feel sad doesn't mean wallowing in self-pity. Choosing sadness brings a variety of benefits. For instance, it means accepting the reality of your current emotions and taking the first step toward processing them.

It connects you with others

One function of sadness is that it encourages others to treat you with empathy, according to a 2018 review of research. This means that embracing sadness could connect you with compassion and care when you need it most.

A 2015 study found that expressing sadness can also bring people together by creating a shared sense of values and belonging to a group. Many cultures even have specific practices and rituals for expressing sadness as a community.

Participating in a communal expression of sadness, such as attending a memorial service or vigil, is one way sadness could help you feel less alone.

It helps you process complexity

Sometimes sadness causes you to seek space from others instead - and this may actually be another benefit.

Research from 2018 suggests that when sadness urges you to disconnect, you're experiencing a protective mechanism meant to keep you safe during a vulnerable time. A bit of solitude when you're feeling sad may help your body and mind cut down on unnecessary stimuli. This can give you space to process intense or complex feelings.

It's part of grieving

Sadness is an aspect of grief, the natural process for responding to and managing loss. Experts suggest that sadness may be a phase in the cycle of grief that promotes reflection. This means that sadness may actively help you make sense of the strong feelings that grief can bring.

Expressing sadness by crying can also signal to those around you that you're experiencing grief and could use support and understanding.

It allows you to adapt

Sadness can help you respond to the thoughts and feelings it has helped you process.

Rumination, when you go through the same thoughts over and over, is often seen as an unhelpful behavior. But when it comes with sadness, it may actually help you come to terms with letdown or loss and build a new strategy for moving through it, according to a 2018 review.

Sadness is also connected to post-traumatic growth, which can happen after difficult life circumstances. Post-traumatic growth could lead to a deeper sense of spirituality or motivation to enact positive change.

It can teach you about yourself

Because sadness is often a response to feelings of failure or loss, it's also a reminder of what you care deeply about and of the qualities that make you human. These include your:

values, goals, and beliefs

capacity to love

interdependence with others

A 2016 research review suggests that sadness may allow you to not only dig deeper into the conundrum at hand, but also expand your self-knowledge.

It can lead to more satisfaction

In some cases, sadness may be a sign that something in your life, like a relationship or job, isn't working out.

For example, lingering sadness and depression can be signs of burnout. Burnout is an indication that your energy is being depleted and it's time for a change. Tuning in to that feeling can be the first step toward making a change that serves you.

It can seem all too easy to become overwhelmed by sadness. You might worry letting sadness in will mean it's there to stay.

Self-care that minimizes distraction and maximizes mindfulness could help you get in touch with sadness without losing yourself in it.

Journal

Writing down your feelings could help you tap into sadness in a manageable way. For instance, a small 2016 study found journaling helped registered nurses process negative emotions associated with their work.

Setting aside some quiet time to journal might help if you're having trouble getting in touch with buried feelings of sadness. As you write, you might imagine your sadness surfacing and moving through you and onto the page.

Keep a broad perspective

The right perspective and some self-compassion could help you manage the uncomfortable aspects of sadness and stay present with them.

You might imagine your emotions as weather - just like storm clouds, sadness will eventually pass. It can help to remember that emotions are temporary if sadness brings up fears that you'll never feel happy again.

A 2020 study also suggests self-compassion may help when managing depression and deep feelings of sadness. Self-compassion involves maintaining a perspective of kindness and nonjudgment toward yourself.

Meditate

Meditation could help you regulate, or manage, emotions like sadness constructively. A small 2019 study found that meditation that focused on positive emotions was especially effective at helping people regulate emotion.

On top of helping you manage sadness, meditation could lower its intensity and make the process of moving through it feel less overwhelming.

Want to know more? Here are some kinds of meditation that can help with depression and sadness.

Talk it out

Expressing sadness to an empathetic loved one can be a great way to process it, allowing you to feel less alone.

If you've experienced loss or a setback alongside another person, it may feel even more natural to share your sadness with them. Setting aside time to speak candidly about disappointment or grief may foster a sense of closeness with that person.

Talking through feelings of sadness with a mental health professional is another option. Therapy could help you confront feelings of sadness and offer support as you unravel them.

Being present with sadness can be an opportunity to investigate the emotion a bit further. Using an emotions wheel like this one could help you narrow down the broad feeling of sadness to something more specific to your situation, whether that's discouraged, hurt, or gloomy.

Letting sadness in can help you process life's difficulties and connect with others in times of hardship. You might just find that letting yourself feel sad in the short term brings you to a happier place overall.

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It's OK to Be Sad: 6 Reasons and How to Manage Sadness

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Sadness is integral to the human experience - so why do we often push it away? Sadness probably isn't one of your favorite feelings, but it's still a valuable emotion, and it's OK to be sad. While it might be uncomfortable, letting sadness in can come with many benefits.

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Managing Depression or Sadness: Tips for Families-Mental Health Toolkit

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What is depression? Depression is another word for feeling sad over a period of time. Feeling sad is normal. It does not result from lack of coping ability or strength. Certain events in a child's life understandably make them feel sad, such as ...

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6 Reasons Why You're Addicted to Sadness

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It’s okay to feel sad - Better Health Channel

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How to cope with sadness and depressive feelings | JED

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Sadness is characterized by a low mood or feeling down, often in response to something that was disappointing or discouraging, or caused other negative feelings. Sadness can happen on its own, but is usually relieved by the passage of time, self-care activities, or doing something you enjoy to cheer yourself up.

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Sharing a special preview of Pushkin's newest show, Well-Read Black Girl. Glory Edim started a book club called Well-Read Black Girl in 2015, and since then it's exploded into a passionate, worldwide reading community. She aims to amplify the voices of BIPOC writers and celebrate their literary achievements, using the power of conversation to help her members to connect with each other and grow as people. Social connection is a topic we talk about a lot on The Happiness Lab. There's lots of evidence that community and social connections are key ingredients for our well-being. The Well-Read Black Girl community embodies this spirit perfectly- group members share their experiences about their favorite writers and express their admiration so beautifully. On the Well-Read Black Girl podcast, Glory has deep, honest conversations with authors of color about the art, craft and power of the written word. You'll hear from luminaries like Tarana Burke, Gabrielle Union, Anita Hill, and more, about how they found their voice, honed their craft, navigated the wild world of publishing, and showed up in the world. We hope listening to this clip will give you a little boost of positive emotion and community. You can listen to more episodes of Well-Read Black Girl at https://link.chtbl.com/happinesslabgloryedim Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos - Embracing Sadness in the Pursuit of Happiness

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We react to sadness in a variety of unhelpful ways. We try to suppress it. We experience guilt over it and apologise to the people around us for feeling it. We assume it means we've failed. We even fear it.

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Self-Care Bullet Journal with Goals - Mood Diary & Happiness Tracker

Daylio enables you to keep a private journal without having to type a single line. Try this beautifully designed & stunningly simple micro-diary app right now for FREE!

** WHAT IS DAYLIO **

Daylio is a very versatile app, and you can turn it in whatever you need to track. Your fitness goal pal. Your mental health coach. Your food log. Your gratitude diary. Mood tracker. Exercise, meditate, eat, and be grateful. Take care of your mental, emotional, and physical health. Good self-care is a key to improved mood and reduced anxiety.

This is the time for your wellbeing, self-improvement, and self-care. Use Daylio as your daily bullet journal. We build it on three principles:

1.) Reach happiness and self-improvement by being mindful of your days.

2.) Validate your hunches. How does your new hobby influence your life?

3.) Form a new habit in an obstacle-free environment—no learning curve. Daylio is super simple to use, create your first entry in two steps.

For anxiety and stress relief, make sure to include activities that help you to cope with negativity. Everybody can use a mood boost! You can measure their impact on your mood in stats.

** HOW DOES IT WORK **

Pick your mood and add activities you have been doing during the day. You can also add notes and keep an old school diary. Daylio is collecting recorded moods and activities in the statistics and calendar. This format will help you to understand your habits better. Keep track of your activities and create patterns to become more productive!

You can review all entries in the statistics on charts or the calendar and share them with your friends.

To make it even better, Daylio allows you:

- Make reflection a daily habit

- Discover what makes you happy

- Use a big database of beautiful icons for your personalized activities

- Mix and match your own moods using funny emojis

- Explore exciting statistics about your life on weekly, monthly or yearly charts

- Deep dive into advanced statistics for every mood, activity or group

- Customize color themes

- Enjoy nights with dark mode

- See your whole year in 'Year in Pixels'

- Create daily, weekly or monthly goals and motivate yourself

- Build habits and collect achievements

- Share statistics with your friends

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- Export PDF and CSV documents to share or print your entries

** PRIVACY AND SECURITY **

We are a top private journal since we do not store or collect your data.

At Daylio, we believe in transparency and honesty. Your data is stored locally on your phone. You can optionally schedule backups to your private cloud storage or take your backup file with you anywhere. Data are entirely under your control at all times.

Data stored in the app's private directories are not accessible by any other apps or processes. Your backups are transferred to the iCloud Drive via the secure (encrypted) channels.

Journaling has never been easier!

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Read our full Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy:

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What’s New

May 25, 2022

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You can select multiple photos at once when adding an entry. Furthermore, if you search for a word in your journal, we will highlight it in the results.

4.8 out of 5

31.5K Ratings

Wonderful Mood Tracker

I was looking for a mood tracking app where I could have multiple entries throughout the day, not just one at the end. I use this app to help track my anxiety and how I feel leading up to an anxious period as well as other moods. I love that I can go back and add entries even days later if I forgot. I also love that it’s completely customizable and I can have tons of options. I did end up upgrading to premium to unlock unlimited moods and activities because I find it really beneficial and absolutely worth the around $20 a year. I have an activities folder with ranges for my heart rate so so can track that during an anxiety attack, I have one with different physical symptoms like sweaty, dizzy, etc., and even a folder for methods and techniques I’ve already tried to calm down. I hate having to type out every little thing so being able to just go through and simply pick what applies at the moment is great. The small comment section is great as well if I want to add a small note about something that might be important but not frequent enough for its own button. This app is really fantastic for helping track moods and keeping a record of how I am feeling and when in an easy to use format that’s customizable to every person, even down to the color scheme. I started off simply looking for an app where I could have more than one daily entry but this app goes above and beyond.

Changed My Life!!! ❤️

I have been using this app for at least a few years and it has been an invaluable tool with a major demonstrable effect on my overall health and wellbeing, especially as a person who is prone to chronic pain, disordered eating habits, and severe mood fluctuations due to complex chronic illnesses. Daylio has helped me pinpoint problems long before I would have ever consciously noticed- like the fact that a depression crept up on me- why? - Well, I can see here I ate sugar two days in a row and had bad sleep most days the last two weeks. I likely never would have noticed before. Daylio has been a game-changer for me when I go to the doctor too. Now I know exactly what to tell them and I know exactly what must be done. I can keep track of how well a medication is working as well as which one is giving me what kinds of side effects.

If you use this app wisely and consistently, it can make a huge impact on your life. I have made major strides in all areas of my life the last 4 years, due in no small part to Daylio holding me accountable and letting me visualize my progress. And in the time since then, they have improved the app consistently. I am extremely grateful for this app. 🙏💜

(P.s. to developers! Lots of apps now are giving you the option to change the App Icon style. This would be SO COOL on daylio in particular because there are so many options for what it could be! 🤩)

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‎Self-Care Bullet Journal with Goals - Mood Diary & Happiness Tracker Daylio enables you to keep a private journal without having to type a single line. Try this beautifully designed & stunningly simple micro-diary app right now for FREE! ** WHAT IS DAYLIO ** Daylio is a very versatile app, and…

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5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book! Truly life changing
Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2016

Amazing book! Truly life changing. So much wisdom and practical applications. I'm so grateful that this was recommended to me.

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Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2019

I would not have earned my B A in Psychology if it wasn't for this book, period. It explains acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) which is the third generation of the behavioral therapeutic approach (the second generation being the cognitive behavioral therapeutic approach). It is founded on evidenced based science, not wishful thinking or esoteric unprovable traditions espoused by Freud and many others. It makes sense to the layman and professional alike. Dr. Steven Hayes is the founder of ACT, but I consider Dr. Russ Harris who authored this book to be the torchbearer of ACT. ACT is truly unlike anything you have probably ever read concerning therapy, psychology, mental illness, and genuine healing of the mind. It's NOT New Agey foolishness nor is it post-modern ignorance. It's a new method of consideration of self. Instead of spending all of your energy fighting to control your thoughts which I think we can all agree can ever be achieved, what might happen if we embraced our troubling thoughts and simply accepted them? We wouldn't ever have to love them, but what if we simply gave them space to exist? Might the byproduct be a bit more peace or at least more capacity to enjoy life? This is the over simplified philosophy behind ACT and this book. It is a scientific mindfulness based approach that may very well change the perspective of your entire life for positive results. Wether you suffer from depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse, schizophrenia, or whatever other troubling thoughts this book and the ACT approach may be just what you have been searching for. I'll warn you though, it takes time, effort, and a desire to improve like anything else. If you are happy being unhappy or being a victim then don't waste your money on this book.

Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2018

Growing up, I was taught that you can either let out all your emotion (e.g. anger) or keep it all in, and that the latter would eventually cause some sort of explosion. On my own I learned that there's also "letting go", but this book gave me another perspective altogether.
I have learned several techniques that - as a high school teacher - have been exceptionally important in dealing with the incessant emotional demands (e.g. frustration, anger, excitement, etc.) of dealing with so many immature personalities.

Highly recommended.

Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2020

I fell into the rating/comments trap on this one. It’s not a bad book, and I’m sure it’s conducive for the right individuals. However, this book assumes you haven’t already developed self-awareness. It’s like an introductory course to self-help (but well done). It's not my intention to talk bad about it or sound like I know it all, but don’t buy if you’ve already done a lot of work on yourself and understand mindfulness, thoughts, values, vision, and passions.

Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2017

I'm a licensed mental health counselor. This book is my go-to recommendation to clients (and family, friends, etc). I encourage the to go on Russ Harris' website (happiness trap.com) and read the introduction and first chapter which are posted there for free. Most of the time, clients are 'hooked' (you'll come to appreciate that term) and go on to read the book. This book will change your life. Acceptance and Commitment therapy (ACT) has changed mine (both personally and professionally).
And for my fellow therapists (and really any other human services/health professionals), this book is a great introduction to ACT. Dr. Harris' book, ACT Made Simple, is how I learned ACT (and highly recommended for professionals who wish to learn). The Happiness Trap is, essentially, ACT Made Simple made simple.

Enjoy, I hope this book brings to you as much of a positive change in your life as it did me.

Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2018

I was recommended this book by a therapist and I was skeptical at first. I've been given self-help books over the years by a few friends and they've all ended up in a drawer somewhere collecting dust. I'm still only about three-fourths through the book and it has already helped me immensely.
This book is unlike any other "self-help" book I've ever opened up. From the beginning, it reads very modestly and very logically. This book doesn't claim to turn your life around (not without your own help at least.) It simply gives you a new perspective on dealing with stress, anxiety, depression and the overall struggles we deal with and let consume our lives on a daily basis, along with the tools to help create the life you want. I recommend this book to everyone. Even if you only take a few things from it, it's worth the $12. I have a list of people I want to loan it to when I'm completely done with it. Buy the book, take the exercises seriously and take your time and listen and give a chance to what the book tells you to do. It's a slow read, as it's meant to be by the author (and for very good reasons.)

Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2018

I really wanted to to like the book. I like mindfulness and have been thinking about happiness. However, the book is a big disappointment. First, the book is poorly written for my taste, wordy and too many simplistic examples. Second, I do not agree with the messages: "is this though helpful? If it is, pay attention to it. If not, defuse it." Sorry, I still have a sense of right or wrong. If I have a thought "I am useless," I would like to think a more accurate and positive way to discredit the thought. I highly recommend another book "The Optimistic Child: A Proven Program to Safeguard Children Against Depression and Build Lifelong Resilience" by Martin E. P. Seligman. That book makes more sense to me.

Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2016

This was my first introduction to mindfulness. The writer is a great teacher and has an easy-to-read style. I enjoyed it very much. It was a launching pad for me to deeper mindfulness practices. I doubt I could have gotten into mindfulness without this introduction.
Update: Amazon seems to be mixing together the reviews for the illustrated version and the original version. They are totally different books. Be sure you are buying the one you want.

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 3, 2019

This book really helped me change my thinking and I’ve tried plenty of books but this has been the best one and i’d recommend it to anyone with anxiety or any regular negative thoughts/self doubt.

5.0 out of 5 stars great book

Reviewed in Canada on December 1, 2020

I have read many self help books. This one saved my life . This one improved my quality of living. I am forever grateful.
I hope anyone out there struggling, finds the right path, healing and support as well.
Maybe this book can help you too .
Excellent writing. Clear and concise.

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book for worriers or people who are prone to bouts of depression.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 14, 2016

What a boss book this is! So informative and puts a total new angle on how the mind perceives things and lowers your mood or causes anxiety. It's taught me a lot.

3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 14, 2017

good service excellant product would recomend.

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book but impossible to practice without daily commitment

Reviewed in Canada on February 23, 2018

Wow. This is a great book, and ACT is a very creative and well-articulated fusion of psychology and Buddhist wisdom. This is basically the highlights of Buddhism distilled into a modern, non-religious psychotherapy method. And it's explained so clearly and without needing to reference Buddhist terminology (kind of like being able to drive a car without knowing how the engine works). The beauty of ACT is how intuitively right it is: we can't escape suffering and we can't escape the fact that our brain produces thousands of thoughts every day (some useful, some completely useless and negative), so we might as well recognize them, make room for them and act on our values anyway. If there's any fault with the book, it's that it doesn't emphasize or honestly describe the commitment involved in building up awareness and mindfulness to the point that you can observe and defuse your daily sensations, thoughts. There's no shortcut or quick way to develop the level of mindfulness needed to effectively practice ACT on a daily basis. There are monks who dedicate their entire lives to building up their level of awareness and concentration, and to suggest that this can be attained without a committed practice is just false advertising. And unfortunately, this is one of the foundations of ACT, so if you've tried other self-help/improvement methods before and then fizzled out, the same will likely happen with this one unless you make some sort of mindfulness exercise a core practice in your life. This comes as a consequence of borrowing wisdom from another practice and distilling it out of context for another purpose. The wisdom does apply in psychotherapy, but the original practice is a long, challenging path.
That said, it's still a 5 star book for me.

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The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living: A Guide to ACT

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The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living: A Guide to ACT - Kindle edition by Harris, Russ, Hayes, Steven C.. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading The Happiness Trap: How t…

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Sadness happens for many reasons. It can happen when a child misses a loved one, loses a favorite toy or gets hurt. This story shows a child how to visual their sadness as a SADNESS SPOT so that they can control it better. It walks them through several situations and offers guidance on how to help manage a SADNESS SPOT when it gets TOO BIG or stays for TOO LONG. It also shows how to help others with their SADNESS SPOT, too! It teaches EMPATHY, COMPASSION, FRIENDSHIP and much more! Circle the spot, in the middle of your palm,

It offers creative strategies for children on how to bring themselves back to a PEACEFUL SPOT!
count the swirls down to calm.

The goal of this series of books is to give children the tools needed to identity what emotion they are feeling and how to properly manage that emotion. Don't forget to check out the rest in the series!

A Little SPOT of Anxiety
A Little SPOT of Anger
A Little SPOT of Kindness
A Little SPOT of Confidence

Around and around, and around twice more .
One, then two, then three, then four.
Each time you trace around the SPOTS,
take a deep breath to CALM your thoughts.

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A Little SPOT of Sadness: A Story About Empathy And Compassion (Inspire to Create A Better You!)

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A Little SPOT of Sadness: A Story About Empathy And Compassion (Inspire to Create A Better You!) [Alber, Diane] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. A Little SPOT of Sadness: A Story About Empathy And Compassion (Inspire to Create A Better You!)

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A comforting primer in emotional literacy and mindfulness that suggests we approach the feeling of sadness as if it is our guest. , Eva Eland brilliantly approaches this feeling as if it is a visitor. She gives it a shape and a face, and encourages the reader to give it a name, all of which helps to demystify it and distinguish it from ourselves. She suggests activities to do with it, like sitting quietly, drawing, and going outside for a walk. The beauty of this approach is in the respect the book has for the feeling, and the absence of a narrative that encourages the reader to "get over" it or indicates that it's "bad," both of which are anxiety-producing notions.) invite readers to add their own impressions.

Sadness can be scary and confusing at any age! When we feel sad, especially for long periods of time, it can seem as if the sadness is a part of who we are--an overwhelming, invisible, and scary sensation.

Simple illustrations that recall the classic style of Crockett Johnson (

Eva Eland's debut picture book is a great primer in mindfulness and emotional literacy, perfect for kids navigating these new feelings--and for adult readers tackling the feelings themselves!
In When Sadness Is at Your Door Harold and the Purple Crayon

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When Sadness is at Your Door [Eland, Eva] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. When Sadness is at Your Door

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Music with Michal - Fun and Learning for Kids!

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I Feel Sad | Learning About Emotions | Feelings Song For Kids | Kids Songs

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0:00 / 23:52•Watch full video

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Kernel of Wisdom - Mental Health & Mindfulness

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Meditation for Depression & Sadness: Guided Mindfulness Meditation

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What is sadness? Find out why it is important to learn how to sit with sadness and some techniques to overcome it.

*This page may include affiliate links; that means we earn from qualifying purchases of products.

Sadness is a natural and extremely common emotion. Most likely, we all felt a bit sad in 2020, perhaps because it was so long since we saw our friends or were able to travel. But bad moods aren't always so bad. Throughout time, humanity cherished the negative feelings evoked by inevitable misfortunes-for example, greek tragedies, classical music and literature that emphasize engulfing sadness, and philosophers that encourage accepting life's inevitable adversities. So what is sadness? We'll discuss it here.

Before we get started, we thought you might be interested in taking our well-being quiz to get your free personalized report .​ Or, if you're a well-being entrepreneur or coach, download our Wellness Business Growth eBook to get expert tips, tools, and resources to grow your business fast. ​​​

Sadness is an emotional pain that usually has a clear cause, such as losing a loved one, a failure at something important, or an unsuccessful goal.

Feeling sad is normal. Despite our constant efforts to make life perfect and pain-free, sadness will inevitably come, whether it's from that promotion we didn't get or a heated argument with a loved one. Everyone has a bad day sometimes, and we all feel sadness at some point in our lives.

Sadness is also a healthy emotion. Although it might not be the most comfortable emotion, as we usually tend to do our best to avoid it, sadness is valid. It teaches you to appreciate life, gives you insight into the inner worlds of others, and allows you to process life changes.
​
In Inside Out, an Academy Award-winning movie about Riley's emotions as she struggles with life changes, all emotions have a hard time understanding Sadness's purpose. Although it takes an intense adventure into the far reaches of Riley's mind, in the end, it's all clear: Sadness is not just about being sad but also emphasizes other feelings, such as compassion, empathy, or love, and it connects people on a deeper level. You can watch a short video on how Sadness went from being the outcast of the group to the one in power below:

The "you need to be happy", toxic positivity mentality only takes away from the joys of your life.

There are many reasons why you could feel sad, as sadness is a part of our life. You could be sad because you lost your job. Or you could be sad because you didn't celebrate an important holiday with your loved ones. Maybe it's been so long since you had a heartfelt conversation with a close friend.

​We all want to be happy. But the pressure to be happy and cheerful every single day can be extremely tiring and detrimental to our actual well-being. Many philosophers argue that to ​If you feel sad, you might also:

Cry more often

Lose interest in activities that you used to enjoy

Drink more alcohol than before

Have trouble sleeping

be happy, we first need to let ourselves be sad. To learn more about this duality, you can check the video below:

Sadness is a natural and normal emotion. You can be sad when your friend moves across the globe, and you won't be able to hang out with them that much anymore. You can be sad when you lose a job or an important relationship. Feeling sadness sometimes is not only normal but also a sign that there are important things in your life worth protecting. Sadness is just another way we are human.

Depression is different from sadness.
Although we casually use the words interchangeably and say things like "I'm so depressed today," not only are they different, but it's crucial to differentiate between them. Sadness is a normal emotion that we all experience. Clinical depression is a serious medical disorder.

When you're sad, although you feel down, you are still able to enjoy hanging out with friends or laughing at a good movie. When you're experiencing depression, however, usually it's not the same: what brought you pleasure before doesn't have the same effect now.

Depression, or major depressive disorder, is a medical condition that negatively affects your social or work-related daily functioning, has an impact on your body, and even alters your brain. Although feelings of sadness may be associated with depression, the difference between depression and sadness is not only about intensity or degree but also how it negatively affects the person's body and mind.

Health professionals use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) to diagnose mental illnesses. To be diagnosed with clinical depression, they need to experience at least five (or more) symptoms during a 2-week period. Also, at least one symptom should be a (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of interest or pleasure. The severity of each symptom is also important when health professionals make an assessment (DSM-5, 2013).

​To better understand the differences between sadness and depression, let's look at how differently they affect a person. When you are sad after a negative event in your life, although your sleep quality may decrease, you will likely still be able to sleep as you normally do.

Depression and sleep are closely connected. Many studies have shown that depression is overwhelmingly associated with a significant disruption of the normal sleeping pattern, specifically insomnia. For example, 75% of depressed patients have insomnia and 40% have hypersomnia (excessive sleeping and difficulty staying awake during the day) (Nutt, Wilson & Paterson, 2008). So, being sad and experiencing clinical depression impact your sleeping patterns differently. The symptoms are:

1. Feeling depressed most of the day, nearly every day.

2. Lack of interest and enjoyment in activities.

3. Trouble sleeping, or sleeping too much.

4. Trouble eating, or eating too much, and weight gain or weight loss.

5. Extreme fatigue most of the day, nearly every day.

6. Inappropriate or exaggerated feelings of guilt or worthlessness.

7. Inability to concentrate or make decisions.

8. Recurrent suicidal thoughts or actions, or thinking a lot about death and dying.

Sadness, anxiety, and anger are different. Just because they are different doesn't mean an event can't trigger all of them. For example, if you lost your job, you could feel sad about how it happened, be angry because it wasn't fair, and experience anxiety when thinking about how you're going to pay your bills.

Another example can be if you had to move to a completely different area for reasons that you had no control over, such as health problems of a family member. In this case, you can be sad that you're moving away from your friends, feel angry that you have to start over again or that you don't like the new place, and experience anxiety when thinking about meeting new people and building connections.

Sometimes, however, the distinction between them is not as clear. A quote that circles the Internet, often attributed to CS Lewis, captures how sadness and anger are intertwined: "I sat with my anger long enough until she told me her real name was grief." Highlighting the connection between sadness and anger and how to differentiate between them, the quote aims at letting your emotions be.

Allowing yourself to feel your emotions, instead of suppressing them can increase your awareness of how to deal with them and practice acceptance. If you feel that you lost an important part of your identity, getting angry at the world can make sense in the short term. It's important to understand that you can use this anger to enable positive change in your life.

Anxiety and anger can pose risks for your mental and physical health, too. They have been shown to increase vulnerability to illnesses and heart diseases, compromise the immune system, infection response, and recovery time, and increase the risk of death (Suinn, 2001).

Sadness is different from loneliness, although they are closely connected and usually appear together. Loneliness is about a gap between how much social connection you'd like and the actually experienced connection. Loneliness comes from our human desire to connect, an important aspect of our lives and well-being, and is not only about the number of social connections but also about their quality. For instance, you could be friendly with many colleagues and still feel lonely sometimes because you'd like to be closer to them.

Loneliness is a very common experience. If you feel lonely, you are not alone. In fact, the majority of us felt lonely at least one time in our lives. Recent reports show that 61% of young adults and 36% of all Americans feel "Serious loneliness," meaning feeling lonely "frequently" or "almost all the time or all the time" (Weissbourd et al., 2021). No wonder why researchers have warned us about the loneliness epidemic.

Loneliness has serious consequences for your mental and physical health (Mushtaq et al., 2014), including:

Diabetes

Heart problems

Obesity

Sleep issues

Poor health

Physiological aging

Mortality

Depression

​Sadness and loneliness often coexist. When something bad happens, such as you lost an important person or had to move to a different area, you can feel sad about the change in your life and lonely or disconnected from your friends. Sadness can trigger loneliness and isolation, which may increase feelings of sadness. As sadness and loneliness continue this vicious cycle, both increase in intensity, feeding off each other. Although it may seem that this continuous loop is impossible to break, it's important to know that there are things you can do to improve.

Sadness is a normal aspect of our lives. "The opposite of depression is not happiness , but vitality ," writes Andrew Solomon in The Noonday Demon , an atlas about depression. If you find yourself feeling sad for longer than usual or with a higher intensity than before, there are a few things you can do to overcome the sadness and bring back vitality.

Be aware. Gently ask yourself what is causing you these feelings. It may be work-related, or about a friend, or even about something that you didn't do as you promised. It's important to be aware and present in the moment. As sadness can also appear when you're lonely, grieving, feeling helpless, the first step to feeling better is to identify what caused you to be sad in the first place.

Be sad. I know it can seem counterintuitive, but allowing yourself to feel the sadness you're experiencing, giving it time and space, can be extremely beneficial. If you suppress or deny your emotions, it canlead to actual physical stress on your body and mental health issues. Cry if you feel like it or take a few hours to recharge. Studies actually echo what philosophers have been saying for decades: tears are cathartic, working like a purifying mechanism that helps you release stress and emotional pain (Newhouse, 2021).

Be compassionate. If you validate your sadness, it can help you move through it. Be curious and compassionate about what makes you sad or what about the current loss makes it harder for you. Figure out what type of comforting you need, maybe talk to a friend or spend the evening alone, and allow yourself to get the self-compassion you need (Hendel, 2020).

Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is all about being present in the moment without any judgment. When you practice mindfulness, you train your brain to be present and not stressed out or sad about previous events that you have no control over.

Connect. Although sometimes, when you're sad, connecting with your loved one might be the last thing you want to do, it can actually be beneficial. Loneliness and sadness go hand in hand, but reaching out to friends or family might positively affect your mood and strengthen your social connections. Many studies have linked having a strong support network to lower depression symptoms (Pfeiffer et al., 2010).

Improve your sleep hygiene. Sleep and mood are strongly connected. Studies clearly show the significant relation between sleep and depressive symptoms (Nutt, Wilson & Paterson, 2008), so getting more sleep can improve your mood. Some strategies to promote sleep quality include not using your phone at least an hour before bed, reading a book, and getting some physical exercise during the day.

"Because wherever I sat-on the deck of a ship or at a street café in Paris or Bangkok-I would be sitting under the same glass bell jar, stewing in my own sour air." ― Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar

"Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word "happy" would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness." ― C. G. Jung

"Tears are words that need to be written." ― Paulo Coelho

​​"Any fool can be happy. It takes a man with real heart to make beauty out of the stuff that makes us weep." ― Clive Barker, Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War ​

Want to learn more about sadness and how to overcome it? Here are some more articles to read. ​

We all want to be happy, but we shouldn't suppress our more uncomfortable feelings in the process. Sadness is a normal and natural emotion, working to show us what is important and valuable in our lives.

​American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).

Mushtaq, R., Shoib, S., Shah, T., & Mushtaq, S. (2014). Relationship between loneliness, psychiatric disorders and physical health? A review on the psychological aspects of loneliness. Journal of clinical and diagnostic research: JCDR, 8(9), WE01.

Newhouse, L. (2021, March 21). Is crying good for you? Harvard Health Blog.

Nutt, D., Wilson, S., & Paterson, L. (2008). Sleep disorders as core symptoms of depression. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 10(3), 329.

Pfeiffer, P. N., Heisler, M., Piette, J. D., Rogers, M. A., & Valenstein, M. (2011). Efficacy of peer support interventions for depression: a meta-analysis. General hospital psychiatry, 33(1), 29-36.

Suinn, R. M. (2001). The terrible twos-anger and anxiety: Hazardous to your health. American Psychologist, 56(1), 27-36.

Solomon, A. (2014). The noonday demon: An atlas of depression . Simon and Schuster.

Weissbourd, R., Batanova, M., Lovison, V., & Torres, E. (2021). Loneliness in America how the Pandemic Has Deepened an Epidemic of Loneliness and What We Can Do about it. Making Caring Common Project .

Key Articles: Programs: Freebies:

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Sadness: Definition, Causes, & Related Emotions

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What is sadness? Find out why it is important to learn how to sit with sadness and some techniques to overcome it. *This page may include affiliate links; that means we earn from qualifying purchases of products. Sadness is a natural and extremely common emotion.

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10+ Coping Skills Worksheets for Adults and Youth (+ PDFs)

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These Coping Skills Worksheets will enable you as a practitioner to help your clients increase their mental well-being with science-based tools.

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When you're in a sad mood, it can seem like it will last forever. But most of the time, sad feelings don't last very long. They might last only a few moments. Or they might last a little longer.

It's OK to feel sad sometimes. And it's good to know how to help yourself feel better when you're ready. So here are some things every kid should know:

You can cope when sad things happen.

A positive attitude helps you cope.

When you're sad, it helps to tell someone how you feel.

You can do things to help yourself feel better.

If you feel depressed, you should talk to an adult so they can help you.

How Can I Cope When Sad Things Happen?

Lots of things can make kids feel sad. They might be big things or small things.

Most of the time, it helps to:

Name how you feel. Just tell yourself (or someone else) that you feel sad. "I'm feeling sad." Simple, right? But don't dwell on it too long, or give it too much drama. Then try to figure out why you feel that way. Name that part, too. "I'm sad because my team lost."

Know you're not alone. When you're sad, try not to get upset with yourself. There's a reason you feel the way you do. "We lost - and I really wanted us to win. Now we can't go to playoffs." It's natural to feel sad when something doesn't work out as you hoped. "I guess other kids feel sad when they lose a big game. " Be kind and patient with yourself. Your sadness will pass, and you'll feel better.

Take a few calm belly breaths. It can help to sit with your sad feeling for a few minutes. While you're doing that, take a few easy, slow, calm breaths. Close your eyes if you want. Let your belly expand when you breathe in. Let your belly get flat when you breathe all the air out. Notice how you feel after you take three or four calm, slow breaths like this. Maybe some of your sadness has floated away.

Keep a can-do attitude. When things don't go your way, don't give up. Tell yourself, "Oh well. It didn't work out this time. But there's always next time." Don't blame yourself. Give yourself credit for trying. Then focus on what you need to work on. Get ready to try again.

What Else Can I Do to Feel Better?

If you tried those things, you might already feel better. But here are more things that can help when you're feeling sad:

Get support. Tell someone how you feel. You could tell a parent, a teacher, or a friend. They can listen to how you feel. After they listen, they might say, "No wonder you feel that way, I see why you feel sad." It helps to know they understand.

Sometimes, that's all you need to start feeling better. Other times, you want to talk more about what you feel sad about. Talking about how you feel helps you get ready to feel better.

Think about good things. When you're ready to feel better, think of a few good things. Was there something good in your day? Was someone kind? Did something go well? You can think of other good things, too. Like your favorite books, games, or shows. Think of the people, places, or pets you love. These are all good things.

Write some good things down, say them out loud, or draw them. Even if you're not in the mood to do this, try it anyway. It's hard to stay sad when you're thinking about good things.

Put yourself in a good mood. Shake off a sad mood by doing things that put you in a brighter mood. Play a game or sport, ride a bike, dance or run. Take a walk, make art or music. Read, or spend time with someone you like. Relax, or get active. Have some fun, and feel better.

Learning to cope with sad feelings takes practice. But it helps you make room for more positive feelings.

What If I Feel Depressed?

Some sad feelings go on for too long, hurt too deeply, and make it hard to enjoy things. This deep sadness is called depression. People of any age can feel depressed - even kids.

Kids might feel depressed if they have been sad or lonely for a long time, or if they have had too much stress or hardship. Kids might feel depressed if they are apart from people they love. Or if their family is going through hard times. Or if a loved one has died.

Kids who feel depressed may need extra help to feel better. If you feel depressed, or if you have sad feelings that will not go away, talk about it with an adult you trust. You could tell a parent, relative, doctor, teacher, counselor, or coach. They can make sure you get the help you need to feel better. Some kids talk to a therapist when they have sad feelings that are hard to cope with. This helps a lot.

There is always somebody to talk to when you are sad or depressed. You feel better when someone knows what you're going through. The other person can do things to make the situation better, too.

It helps to talk about what's wrong, but be sure to talk together about good things, too. Paying attention to the good stuff (especially during sad times) can make you feel more hopeful. That really matters when you're feeling sad or depressed.

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What to Do When You Feel Sad (for Kids) - Nemours KidsHealth

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Everyone is sad once in a while. But depression is a sadness that goes on too long and hurts too much. Find out more in this article for kids.

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What are Positive and Negative Emotions and Do We Need Both?

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Identifying, accepting, and managing both positive and negative emotions is an important task for living a healthy, happy, and balanced life.

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Many of us are struggling in our day to day lives with these symptoms which have become the norm in our society today. This can leave us feeling debilitated and out of control. We may yearn to find a way to manage these things or to even heal them. Christina guides us from Symptom to Source, leading us back to the truth of our being. This is an explorative journey of discovery, certainly the greatest and most fulfilling journey of our lives. Through simple practices and insight we begin to gain control over our lives again
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This podcast will cover different topics of life. Talking on topics like depression, love, success, growth, etc.
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Welcome to my podcast, where I share my stories about my depression and progress on my way to a happier life.
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Jan 2019

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May 2019

Colorado, US
Rolling in raindrops is for them who are living with a disability, depression, anxiety, but never give up! Also, audiences dealing with depression and anxiety find it thoughtful and life provoking.
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Berlin, Germany
A podcast about yoga and depression, because depression sucks and yoga helps. The place to learn how to manage your depression better through yoga.
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192 ⋅ Mar 2019

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Best 60 Depression Podcasts You Must Follow in 2022

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Wisconsin, US Depression affects more than 300,000,000 worldwide. So basically, if you don't have it yourself, you know someone who does. Giving Voice to Depression was founded to start discussions that reduce stigma and promote understanding. We look at depression from many angles. The episodes are informative and hopeful and seldom depressing.

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You can think of Dave Nadelberg's vast Mortified project as The Hilarious World of Embarrassment, Awkwardness, and Redemption. Through stage presentations, film, TV, and books, Dave invites people to share their most mortifying writing. It's very funny, sure, but it's more than that. Dave says the process of dragging your younger self out of that old trunk can provide...

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The Hilarious World of Depression Podcast - Make It Ok

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You can think of Dave Nadelberg's vast Mortified project as The Hilarious World of Embarrassment, Awkwardness, and Redemption. Through stage presentations, film, TV, and books, Dave invites people to share their most mortifying writing. It's very funny, sure, but it's more than that.

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Are you looking for a self-help podcast about depression? Perhaps you're looking to listen to expert interviews, want to hear first-person stories, or just want someone to talk about depression with a light-hearted tone. Whatever it is that you are looking for in a depression podcast, chances are there is one out there to fulfill your needs.

Depression podcasts range from humorous to serious and are hosted by everyone from comedians to distinguished Harvard scholars. However, they all have one thing in common: a desire to educate, inform, and reduce stigma. Some do this with a bit more humor than others.

Podcasts about depression also cover a range of topics across episodes, from perfectionism to medication to dealing with postpartum blues. Depression podcasts are far from uni-dimensional, and many bring on guest experts to expand the breadth of material that can be covered. After all, no single podcast host can be an expert in all areas.

Without further ado, below are a list of some of the most popular, most intriguing, and most niche depression podcasts that you may want to check out if you are struggling with depression yourself, are a therapist treating clients with depression, or just want to learn how to feel happier on the daily.

The Hardcore Self Help Podcast with Duff the Psych

The Hardcore Self Help Podcast with Duff the Psych is a good pick if you are looking for something a little edgier than the typical self-help podcast. The host recognizes that some people are tired of typical self-help information and delivers the podcast in a way that takes this into account.

About the Host

Clinical psychologist Dr. Robert Duff is the host of the Hardcore Self Help Podcast. Dr. Duff runs a practice in Southern California, where he does in-person and online psychotherapy as well as neuropsychological assessment. He is the author of the Hardcore Self Help book series, a series designed for people who don't like typical self-help books. He also has a Youtube channel.

About the Podcast

The Hardcore Self Help podcast is a weekly podcast about mental health topics that covers topics using plain language to make them relatable to the general population. The podcast is released on Thursday mornings and covers topics like anxiety, depression, addiction, relationships, etc.

Sample Episodes about Depression:

The Hilarious World of Depression

The Hilarious World of Depression is a good pick if you are looking for a comedic twist on a dark topic. This podcast is run by a radio host and humor writer who understands how to communicate a message with a comedic slant. While this podcast has been cancelled due to budget cuts in 2020, the previously recorded episodes are still available on Apple Podcasts.

About the Host

Public Radio Host and humor writer John Moe is the voice behind the podcast The Hilarious World of Depression.

About the Podcast

The Hilarious World of Depression is a series of conversations with comedians who have lived with depression. The podcast aims to help people gain insight into the illness and feel less alone. It also takes a lighter approach to depression, managing to be funny while also meaningful. Guests on the show share how they managed to keep their sense of humor while dealing with depression.

Sample Episodes about Depression:

Feeling Good Podcast by Dr. David Burns

If you are looking for a podcast written by a seasoned expert on the topic of depression, then you should look no further than the Feeling Good Podcast by Dr. David Burns. Burns is a renowned expert on the topic of how to manage depression and is a pioneer of methods used by psychologists and therapists around the world.

About the Host

Dr. David Burns is an adjunct professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine and the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions for his contributions to the field of psychology. He is also the author of popular books on depression, including Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, which is universally considered one of the most popular books on depression.

About the Podcast

The Feeling Good podcast describes techniques to manage depression and anxiety as well as improve self esteem. Whether you are a member of the general public or a therapist, you'll find helpful tips and tricks about shyness, social anxiety, suicide prevention, perfectionism, etc. The podcast also features cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) methods such as the Acceptance Paradox. This podcast can be downloaded as well to listen on any device.

Sample Episodes about Depression:

The SelfWork Podcast with Dr. Margaret Rutherford

Are you looking for a podcast hosted by a psychologist who understands that depression isn't always completely debilitating? Then the SelfWork podcast may interest you. This podcast takes the approach that not everyone with depression shows it on the outside, and many are perfectionists who have hidden depression.

About the Host

Dr. Margaret Rutherford is a psychologist in private practice and author of the book, "Perfectly Hidden Depression: How to Break Free from the Perfectionism that Masks Your Depression." Dr. Rutherford believes that depression can be hidden behind perfectionism but still have a devastating impact leading to feelings of loneliness and hopelessness.

About the Podcast

Dr. Rutherford centers her podcast on the questions that she receives by email (which she responds to as often as she can). On the podcast, you can learn about a variety of topics related to perfectionism, depression, burnout, emotions, therapy, people pleasing, and more.

Sample Episodes about Depression:

Defeat Postpartum Depression with Arielle Wozniak

Are you struggling with postpartum depression? If so, you may be interested in the Defeat Postpartum Depression podcast. This podcast is dedicated solely to the topic of postpartum depression and/or postpartum anxiety, and it is a good choice for new mothers who are struggling to get their footing with their mood after having a baby.

About the Host

The Defeat Postpartum Depression podcast is hosted by Arielle Wozniak, a Maternal Mental Wellness Coach with personal experience of postpartum depression. She helps women through coaching services, and her podcast aims to help others going through the same experiences that she triumphed over.

About the Podcast

Defeat Postpartum Depression is a podcast devoted to helping women who are struggling with postpartum depression or postpartum anxiety.

Sample Episodes about Depression:

The Brain Warrior's Way

Are you looking for a podcast about the neuroscience behind why your brain behaves the way that it does? If so, you'll be interested in the Brain Warrior's Way podcast. This podcast is hosted by experts and takes a deep dive into what makes your brain tick.

About the Host

The Brain Warrior's Way podcast is hosted by Dr. Daniel G. Amen, MD and Tana Amen, BSN, RN. Dr. Amen is a board-certified psychiatrist, author of the best-selling book "Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Lack of Focus, Anger, and Impulsiveness," among others. Tana Amen is a nurse, vice president of Amen Clinics, and author of the book "The Omni Diet."

About the Podcast

The Brain Warrior's Way podcast examines the connection between the brain and wellness, covering depression but also topics such as anxiety, social anxiety, ADHD, weight loss, and happiness. On the podcast, Dr. Amen and Tara Amen discuss neuroscience in a way that delivers helpful tips for living your best life.

Sample Episodes about Depression:

The Depression Files Podcast

Are you interested in a podcast that touches on men's experience of depression? If so, the Depression Files podcast may be of interest to you as this is its main focus.

About the Host

The Depression Files podcast is hosted by Al Levin, an assistant principal in a public elementary school in the process of completing his coaching certification through the Coaches Training Institute. Levin recovered from major depressive disorder and is passionate about supporting others, particularly men with depression. He also conducts speaking engagements for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

About the Podcast

The Depression Files Podcast focused on interviews with men who have lived with depression. The goal of the podcast is to educate, support, and reduce stigma. Levin also has guest interviews to examine specific mental health topics.

Sample Episodes about Depression:

Tell Me What You're Proud Of With Dr. Maggie Perry

Are you looking for a podcast that showcases real life therapy sessions about depression? If so, you'll be enthralled with the Tell Me What You're Proud Of podcast.

About the Host

Dr. Maggie Perry is a licensed psychologist with a PhD in clinical psychology. She is also the founder of an online group therapy platform called Huddle.care.

About the Podcast

In the The Tell Me What You're Proud Of Podcast, Dr. Maggie Perry shares real life therapy sessions that she conducts with actual clients on the topics of depression, stress, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and anxiety.

Sample Episodes about Depression:

Before You Kill Yourself Podcast

Do you want to learn about depression from guest interviews? Then the Before You Kill Yourself podcast might be right for you.

About the Host

Leo Flowers is a stand-up comedian with a master's degree in counseling/psychology and a TEDx speaker. Flowers is also a life coach for people who are successful in their careers and finances but struggling in their relationships in terms of acceptance and connection and looking to find more meaning in life. In his coaching, he works with clients on topics like goal setting, moving past limiting beliefs, managing anxiety and stress, organization, passion for life, and finding hope.

About the Podcast

In the Before You Kill Yourself podcast, Leo Flowers interviews mental health experts, book authors, and comedians to teach others how to thrive as well as to reduce stigma around depression and mental health. The podcast combines insight with humor, and has over 100,000 downloads.

Sample Episodes about Depression:

Happier Podcast with Gretchen Rubin

Finally, are you interested in finding out not only about depression but about how to be happier? If that's the case, then the Happier Podcast is worth a listen.

About the Host

Gretchen Rubin is a writer and author of the books "The Happiness Project," "The Four Tendencies," "Outer Order, Inner Calm" and others.

About the Podcast

On the podcast Happier with Gretchen Rubin, Gretchen and her sister Elizabeth Craft draw on science, popular culture, and their own experiences to explore how to increase your happiness, health, productivity, and creativity.

Sample Episodes about Depression:

A Word From Verywell

No matter what type of depression podcast you are interested in listening to, there is likely something available that you'll enjoy. This is just a small selection of the depression podcasts that you can find on your favorite listening station. When choosing a depression podcast, consistency, expert advice, entertainment, and relatability are the key factors to consider. Once you find one that you enjoy, make time on a weekly basis to check in and learn something new.

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10 Podcasts to Listen to If You Have Depression

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Are you looking for a self-help podcast about depression? Perhaps you're looking to listen to expert interviews, want to hear first-person stories, or just want someone to talk about depression with a light-hearted tone. Whatever it is that you are looking for in a depression podcast, chances are there is one out there to fulfill your needs.

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Depression gets a lot of press and attention these days. But sadness is a different thing. Sadness is the feeling that comes from an unhappy event. Now, if you don't deal with it, sadness can become chronic and lead to depression. This is why you might want to learn to deal with it when it comes. And it will come.

Just the other day, for example, I was very, very sad. Something happened in my life, which none of you need to know about or worry about because I am fine. Everything is fine, but something did occur which made me utterly and incredibly sad. And as I came out of it a little bit, I thought of this blog.

I made this list as much for me as for you...

14. Dream Baby Dream. Just when I was starting to feel better on my way to work the first day of my sadness, "Dream Baby Dream" by Bruce Springsteen came on and I cried even harder, even though Bruce himself was telling me to "Come on darling and dry your eyes" because "I just wanna see you smile." But the message of this song is a perfect encouragement to start the process of healing and moving on and imagining a future when all this sadness you're feeling at this moment will just be a distant memory.

For more from Maria Rodale, visit www.mariasfarmcountrykitchen.com

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Depression gets a lot of press and attention these days. But sadness is a different thing. Sadness is the feeling that comes from an unhappy event. Now, if you don't deal with it, sadness can become chronic and lead to depression. This is why you might want to learn to deal with it when it comes.

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It can be tough for children to understand what they're feeling and to channel those feelings in positive ways. A key in supporting children is to help them gain emotional intelligence - knowing what emotions are, how they work, and how to use/manage them. Another treatment growing rapidly in popularity is to develop mindfulness practices, a form of meditation. A recent John Hopkins study found that only eight weeks of meditation was effective in treating depression, pain, and anxieties. With technology readily accessible, these fun apps can be helpful in developing these skills in children.

1. ADHD Trainer

ADHD Trainer is a cognitive tool for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It was created to help them work on focus and memory concepts, with the help of playing "games".

2. Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame

With sections for both parents and children, this Sesame Street app teaches young kids how to keep calm and carry on. It supports children in managing anxieties and anger issues.

3. Calm

The app helps children learn and develop meditation skills. Their "Sleep Stories" function tells tales to help users fall asleep easier.

4. Daniel Tiger's Grr-ific Feelings

Children often have a difficult time expressing their feelings. PBS's Daniel Tiger teaches children how to calm down when angry, celebrate proud moments, and relax with music and activities.

5. Headspace

This popular meditation app has five themes: Calm, Focus, Kindness, Sleep, and Wake Up, and the app is customized for three age groups-under 5, 6-8, and 9-12. There is also an adult version to practice mindfulness alongside your child.

6. HelloMind

Great for young worries, this app helps to change negative thought patterns. Children can choose treatments based on whatever is bothering them. Examples include low self-esteem, needing courage, or being afraid to stick up for one's self.

7. Mindfulness for Children

This app helps children learn tools to help manage anxiety such as breathing exercises that they can use at school, during sports, or anytime they are feeling anxious or overwhelmed.

Image courtesy of hywards at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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7 Apps that help kids handle their feelings - Child & Family Counseling

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It can be tough for children to understand what they're feeling and to channel those feelings in positive ways. A key in supporting children is to help them gain emotional intelligence - knowing what emotions are, how they work, and how to use/manage them.

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Though apps can’t replace medication and therapy, they may help ease symptoms of depression. Here are our top depression app picks.

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Depression affects everyone differently. Whether you're dealing with deep depression, loneliness, grief, or extreme stress that's affecting your health, it's important to have easy access to help when you need it.

For some people, that means therapy, medication, or a combination of both. For others, a mobile app may provide a valuable separate or complementary option for tackling depressive symptoms.

The perks? No insurance, traveling, or appointments necessary. Discretion and convenience are key. If you're interested in exploring new ways to manage your mental health, check out our picks for the best depression apps of 2019.

Android: 4.2 stars

Price: Free

This self-help app is based on the tenets of cognitive behavioral therapy. Through informational articles, diarylike mood tracking, and built-in motivational features, the app will help you modify your thought patterns for a better mood. A depression severity test allows you to evaluate your progress. Audio content is a game changer for stressful morning commutes.

Android: 4.4 stars

Price: Free with in-app purchases

What's Up? is more than just a diary and habit tracker. Drawing from CBT and acceptance commitment therapy, it helps teach you dozens of coping mechanisms, from grounding exercises and breathing techniques to ways of recognizing distorted thought patterns, such as catastrophizing and black-and-white thinking. The app's forum also gives you a place to connect when you're needing some extra support.

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Depression affects everyone differently. Whether you're dealing with deep depression, loneliness, grief, or extreme stress that's affecting your health, it's important to have easy access to help when you need it. For some people, that means therapy, medication, or a combination of both.

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Depression is an illness that many suffer alone. These speakers bravely share their own stories -- and how they recovered.

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Try these simple activities from a licensed mental health counselor to help kids cope with big feelings related to COVID-19 and the coronavirus pandemic.
COVID-19 continues to alter our lives, causing waves of grief and trauma. We are feeling sadness, anger, shock, denial, and fear. Your children are feeling these waves of emotion too, and they need your help to cope with these very BIG feelings. In this article, I've included several tips on how to help kids cope with big feelings, or complex emotions..

What Are Complex Emotions?

Complex emotions occur when we feel two or more things at the same time, which is common in grief and/or trauma. For example, your child may be happy that she gets to spend more time with you, and sad that her birthday party was canceled.

Helpful resource: Daniel Tiger has a great song about mixed feelings that could be helpful to you.

Try these simple steps to help kids cope with big emotions.

Step One: Check in With Yourself First

What complex emotions have YOU been feeling?

Do this mindfulness activity.

Bring your attention to your body, beginning with your head and slowly working down to your toes. When you find a point of tightness or tension, pause, and be curious about that sensation.

What is the emotion: sadness, anger, fear?

Attempt to neutralize the sensation by focusing on a different part of your body that feels calm. If you can't neutralize it, that's okay, and to be expected during a time like this.

Acknowledge the feeling by naming it, and tell yourself it's okay to feel that way. Praise yourself for increasing your own awareness about your emotions. It will help you hold the space for your child's emotions.

Step Two: Follow Their Lead

Your kids might not have the vocabulary to tell you in detail how they are feeling during this time of crisis. However, children communicate through play.

My first tip is to simply "lean in" to their play or activities. Sit with your children wherever they are playing and simply observe them. Their play might tell you how they are feeling.

Normalize it: "I noticed you got frustrated while you were playing today. That's okay."

If they are a bit older, they can probably have a conversation with you about it. You might ask "What do you think you were feeling? Where are you feeling that in your body?"

If they struggle to answer these questions, that's okay. If they don't want to answer your questions, tell them that's okay too! Let them come to you.

Giving them the option NOT to do these therapeutic activities is a MUST right now. It communicates emotional safety.

If they want to do an activity, perhaps they can draw an outline of their body, either on big paper or a mini version.

Ask them to color in the parts of their body that feel "funny" or "different" right now.

Then ask them what they want to do with this drawing. Do they want to hang it up or rip it up? The point is to get the emotion out, not to analyze their artwork.

PRO TIP: When observing your child drawing, a great question to ask is "I'd love to know more about your drawing. Do you want to tell me?" instead of "I see you used red, you must be very angry!" The latter is an assumption.

Challenge them to tell you in their own words by using an open-ended question instead of a statement. Point to certain areas on the drawing and say, "Tell me about this part."

If they don't want to answer, then they probably need space. Say, "I can tell you don't want to talk about it, and that's okay."
Involve the Whole Family
Print out a feelings chart and have it accessible to the whole family. Encourage all members to pick a feeling on the chart and share how they are feeling that day.

Helpful resource: There is a free printable set of feelings cards available in this play dough mat set here.

Then ask: "How do you know that's what you're feeling?" This is excellent modeling for your child. It communicates that adults have complex emotions too, and that it's okay to talk about them together.

If an adult or teen doesn't want to share their feelings, give them permission to just listen, and thank them for their presence; this is modeling appropriate boundaries and emotional safety.

A feelings chart activity teaches children how to recognize what they are feeling, and normalizes that everyone (parents, siblings, grandparents, etc.) is struggling with new emotions too.

PRO TIP: If you force your children and family members to do this activity, it will probably not go well. Giving people the option to not participate is very therapeutic.

Step Three: Externalize the Emotion

Begin by obtaining your child's permission to do an activity about BIG feelings. Then, help them give their emotions a name, a color, an animal, etc.

You can have your child draw it or simply talk about it with them.
For example, you can say to your child "If your sadness was an animal or mythical creature, what would it be? What's its name? What color would it be? How big would it be? How would it move? What would it eat?"
Continue to ask open-ended questions to illicit more details until the picture (either a drawing, or a picture in their head) of this externalized emotion is very clear.
Then say to your child, "This emotion is very important, and I'm so glad we talked about it. Where can [emotion's name] stay for a while so that we can focus on schoolwork?"
Then have your child pick a location or draw an imaginary location. If it's a scary emotion/animal, ask your child if they are afraid of it. If they are, then where can we store it so that we know we're all going to be safe?

You can avoid this by PRO TIP: As you may have learned from Mr. Rogers, feelings become much less overwhelming when we get to know them in activities like this one. It's rare that children are afraid of their externalized emotions. It's more common that the parent is very uncomfortable with the child's BIG feeling. That discomfort gets indirectly communicated back to the child, who then learns "It's not okay to have BIG feelings." truly allowing every feeling to be okay. It's NOT your job to fix it, and it's not your fault that they are feeling BIG feelings.

Calm Down Together

By now you've both identified your complex emotions, sat with them for a while, and stored them away for later.

It's time to unwind.

Help your child calm down by calming yourself down first.

Take some deep breaths, making sure your exhale is longer than your inhale; this activates your parasympathetic nervous system to calm you down.

Ask your child to breathe with you. If they're very young, make it into an activity. Lay down on your back, place a stuffed animal on your belly, and watch the stuffed animal go up and down like it's on an elevator. Make sure the stuffed animal goes up faster than it goes down.

Deep-breathing is the most effective way to calm down.

Other Calm-Down Tips:

In addition to deep-breathing, you can do these activities, repeating them until you both feel calm or neutral.

Toss an object back and forth. Count how many times it goes back and forth before one of you drops it. Start again and try to set a new record.

Go on a scavenger hunt around the house finding 10 blue objects, 10 green objects, etc.

Go outside and place your bare feet in the grass. Pretend you are a tree and stand tall and still, arms out like branches. Whoever moves first loses and must start again.

Do an activity that you both enjoy, and let them take the lead (baking, playing with Legos, coloring, hide and seek, etc.)

I hope these tips have been useful in helping you and your child through this challenging time. These activities are therapeutic in nature, and remember, you are not a trained therapist, but you are their parent! Be kind to yourself as you introduce these activities.

Disclaimer: I believe these activities are simple enough to do at home. However, I do not know your specific situation. These activities may not be appropriate for severe cases of grief and trauma. If you are or your child get overwhelmed to the point of not being able to calm down, then it is time to seek out a licensed therapist. Ask your primary care physician or insurance provider for a referral. Most therapists are providing telehealth sessions and are available.

Written by: Holly Golden, MA, LMFT, LMHC {Read more about Holly here.}

Read more in this series...

Visit the Helping Kids Cope with the Coronavirus Pandemic series main page for updates for more information.

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Counselor's Simple Activities to Help Kids Cope with Big Emotions

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Try these simple activities from a licensed mental health counselor to help kids cope with big feelings related to COVID-19 and the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19 continues to alter our lives, causing waves of grief and trauma. We are feeling sadness, anger, shock, denial, and fear.

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Activities to Alleviate Depression | Advanced Psychiatry

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We know that finding ways to cope with depression is not easy. Learn more about activities to help with depression and schedule an appointment today!

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Discover the best books in Amazon Best Sellers. Find the top 100 most popular Amazon books.

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The Best Picture Books for Kids About Sadness · Book Nerd Mommy

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When I saw the movie “Inside Out” for the first time I practically burst into tears at the ending in the movie theater. I loved the message that sorrow is essential and that we can even appreciate it for the strength it gives to the emotion of joy. Sadness can be a difficult topic to...Read More »

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Best for dealing with grief

Price: $

Written as a response to society treating grief as something that needs to be fixed and removed from our lives as fast as possible, "It's OK That You're Not OK" shares Megan Devine's approach to dealing with painful loss or life-shattering events. She points out, "Grief is simply love in its most wild and painful form... It is a natural and sane response to loss."

Megan, who experienced grief as a therapist and witnessed the accidental drowning of her partner, shuns the idea of returning to a "normal" life. Instead, she replaces it with a middle-ground of creating a healthy life with grief.

In this New York Times, Reader's Digest, HuffPost, and NPR's Radio times-featured book, you'll get sound advice, wisdom, stories, research, life tips, and creative and mindfulness-based practices for dealing and living with grief.

Price: $$$

Sometimes psychotherapy and antidepressants simply don't work for people struggling with mental health issues. In his book, "Unstuck: Your Guide to the Seven-Stage Journey Out of Depression," James Gordon uses his 40-year trailblazing career in psychiatry to bring you a seven-stage process that can work.

Using a combination of nutritional supplements and food, movement, exercise and dance, Chinese medicine, meditation, psychotherapy, guided imagery, and spiritual practice, Gordon shows readers that there are other methods to cope with depression.

Price: $

Pastor and psychotherapist Ryan Casey Waller believes that we are not meant to manage the mental illness we struggle with. In his book, "Depression, Anxiety, and Other Things We Don't Want to Talk About", he points out that mental health issues are not a symptom of failing spiritually or lacking faith, and that the battle doesn't need to be lonely and discouraging as experienced by so many.

Waller combines clinical insight with practical theology and deep empathy, inviting us to talk about mental health without shame and discover why self-awareness is important. He encourages us to explore how psychology, biology, and spirituality intersect and discover different ways to heal.

Price: $

It's not a coincidence that depression rates have gone up in our modern, fast-paced society.

In "The Depression Cure," Stephen Ilardi, PhD, reminds us that human minds and bodies weren't designed to function well with poor sleeping and eating habits and long work hours.

He takes us back to basics, using examples of techniques to combat depression that are inspired by populations like the Kaluli of Papua, New Guinea, who are still untouched by modern technology.

Ilardi is a clinical psychology associate professor at the University of Kansas and conducts research on mental health and depression. His program, the Therapeutic Lifestyle Change (TLC), is based on years of clinical research. It revolves heavily around lifestyle changes, such as physical activity and social connection, for antidepressant benefit.

Price: $$$

Mindfulness is a Buddhist philosophy that began about 2,600 years ago. Psychologists believe real mental health benefits can come from breathing and being in the moment.

J. Mark G. Williams, DPhil, John D. Teasdale, PhD, Zindel V. Segal, PhD, and Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, are the authors of "The Mindful Way Through Depression." In it, they emphasize how trying to simply "snap out" of depression can lead to more negative feelings. They also explore other methods of defeating those negative feelings.

Mindfulness comes with so many benefits, including stress reduction, anxiety control, and improved emotional health. This book does a great job of explaining how mindfulness works to combat a negative thought process and how you can use it to help with depression.

Price: $$$

There's a science behind how depression works. Causes can be biological or circumstantial, or a combination of both, such as brain chemistry, hormones, family history, medical conditions, and substance misuse.

In his book "The Upward Spiral," neuroscientist Alex Korb, PhD, explains the process in your brain that causes depression.

Using this information, he outlines tips for how you can apply neuroscience research to rewire your brain toward healthier, happier thoughts.

This book is great for people with depression, or for people who just want a better look at how our brains function and deal with different emotions.

Price: $$

This is a self-help book for people who hate self-help books. Not everyone is wired to respond to the promise of positivity.

"The Antidote" takes a more existential approach. This book explores how embracing some negative feelings and experiences as a part of life can actually be uplifting.

Many people find that some aspects of life like money, romance, and family don't fulfill them completely. While this certainly doesn't apply to everyone, this book is written specifically for people whose happiness might revolve around other things.

Price: $$

It's been said that you are what you eat. Nutritionist Joan Mathews Larson, PhD, believes imbalances and deficiencies are the cause of depression and anxiety. Some vitamins, herbs and supplements and types of food have been found to help those with depression, including vitamin D, the keto diet and certain teas.

In "Depression-Free, Naturally," she offers tips for emotional healing and suggestions for foods, vitamins, and minerals to boost health and keep depression at bay.

The book allows for self-screening for certain behavioral symptoms, followed by a guided plan to help naturally heal your mind and body and become a healthier person overall.

Price: $$

Depression isn't a one-size-fits-all mood disorder. It can affect everyone differently, and "The Noonday Demon" attempts to shed light on that.

Author Andrew Solomon explores depression from several angles, including personal, scientific and cultural perspectives. His account includes his personal struggle and experience and the experiences of those he's interviewed, including others with depression, doctors, policy-makers, and drug designers. It also discusses the ethics of biological questions that the illness poses.

Learn why depression and its treatments are so complex according to many different perspectives, including people living with it.

Price: $$

Certain negative thought patterns, like guilt, pessimism, and low self-esteem can fuel depression.

In "Feeling Good," psychiatrist Dr. David Burns outlines techniques to help break out of these patterns by recognizing them and dealing with them.

The book helps guide you into thoughts that help with addiction, mood swings, guilt, hostility, and other negative feelings.

The latest edition of this book also includes a guide to antidepressants and more information on treatment options for depression.

Price: $

Contrary to the old saying, you actually can teach an old dog new tricks. Did you know this applies to retraining your brain, too? Many of us struggle with unhealthy thought patterns that we would greatly benefit from ditching. The good news is we're able to change our thought patterns. It just takes work.

In his book "Change Your Brain," psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Amen uses scientific evidence to provide "brain prescriptions" that help you retrain your mind. For depression, he offers tips to diffuse automatic negative thoughts (ANTs) which lower our self-esteem, make it tough to make decisions and put a strain on our relationships.

He gives tips on a number of mental health concerns, from depression, anxiety, anger, as well as many others.

Price: $$$

"Undoing Depression" takes a practical approach to taking on depression. Richard O'Connor, PhD, a practicing psychotherapist, focuses on the aspects of this condition that are within our control: our habits.

The book offers tips and techniques for how to replace depressive thought patterns and behaviors with healthier approaches.

Price: $$

In our fast-paced society, it's easy to overlook the amount of stress and the profound effect it can have on our moods and well-being.

"Full Catastrophe Living" teaches mindfulness habits to help you live in the moment and ease daily stress. The book combines mind and body approaches, like meditation and yoga, to help you reduce stress and improve overall well-being.

Price: $

"Furiously Happy" is derived from author Jenny Lawson's years of firsthand experience with depression and other conditions.

While living with severe depression, Lawson managed to find light in the darkness, and she shares that with her readers. As she says, "I've often thought that people with severe depression have developed such a well for experiencing extreme emotion that they might be able to experience extreme joy in a way that 'normal people' also might never understand. And that's what 'Furiously Happy' is all about."

The book highlights depression and mental illness, as well as Jenny's focus on the joy she's found.

Price: $

Exercise does more than keep you fit and prevent heart disease. It's actually a powerful ally against depression and anxiety.

"Spark" explores the mind-body connection to explain how and why aerobic exercise is effective in reducing symptoms from several mental conditions.

The book strives to help readers not only eliminate depression but also increase intellect, enhance memory, lift mood, and conquer stress.

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The Best Books About Depression for 2022

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We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here's our process. Price: $ Written as a response to society treating grief as something that needs to be fixed and removed from our lives as fast as possible, "It's OK That You're Not OK" shares Megan Devine's approach to dealing with painful loss or life-shattering events.

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PIXAR - INSIDE OUT - JOY REALIZES WHY SADNESS IS IMPORTANT EMOTION TO RILEY'S MENTAL HEALTH HD

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Sadness is a transient emotional state that is generally associated with negative moods and unhappy feelings.

What is Sadness?

Sadness is considered to be one of the basic human emotions and it is a natural response to situations involving psychological, emotional, and/or physical pain. Sad feelings often quickly diminish after individuals resolve or come to terms with upsetting experiences.

Sadness affects everyone at some point, and is discernible at both the behavioral and physiological levels. Behaviors such as crying, sobbing, and temporary social solation are characteristic of sadness. Feeling sad can also trigger specific observable reactions in the brain and peripheral nervous system.

Though sadness is often linked with unfavorable circumstances, it is not always perceived in a negative light. Many people enjoy watching sad movies or listening to sad music because crying can be emotionally soothing. And while sadness can lead to withdrawal from other people or a loss of interest in certain activities, it can also prompt pleasure-seeking behaviors. In fact, positive personality traits such as alertness, thoughtfulness, and resilience can be fostered through sad experiences.

Sadness Is Not Depression

Depression is not merely an acute form of sadness; there are significant differences between the two states. Primary among these is that depression is a diagnosable mental health condition while sadness is not.

Individuals who feel sad are often able to identify the cause of their sadness, however many people experiencing depression report difficulty pinpointing the reason they are depressed. While a sad person may maintain hope for the future and may consciously decide to change an unhappy mood, a person experiencing depression may see life as hopeless, and may not be able to cope or overcome symptoms of depression using conscious choice.

Most people will experience feelings of sadness at various points in their lives. Unlike depression, sadness typically does not interfere with a person's overall social functioning. A period of sadness may last no more than a minute, however feelings of depression can go on for months or even years without relief. Depression affects approximately 350 million people worldwide-with women twice as likely to develop the condition as men.

Sadness and Mental Health

Sadness is a common emotion. In some cases, it can also be a symptom of certain mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, antisocial personality, anorexia, and bulimia. If left unaddressed, negative feelings may cause an affected person to withdraw into social isolation-a behavior pattern that is closely associated with several mental health issues. Even if an individual is able to recognize the long-term emotional and psychological dangers, intense sadness may demotivate him or her from seeking needed help.

Therapy for Sadness

Talk therapies are particularly effective in helping people overcome feelings of sadness, as troubling situations are thoroughly explored and the individual is given the opportunity to express his or her point of view. After opening up, many affected individuals release much emotional stress, clear their thinking, and are better able to resolve the conflict in question.

Other strategies for resolving sadness can include talking with a loved one, proper nutrition, physical exercise, breathing exercises, or listening to positive music. Many of the mental health conditions which are associated with sadness can also be effectively treated with psychotherapy. Finding a qualified local therapist can help a person gain a positive outlook and develop useful coping skills for sadness and other emotions.
References:

1. Ekman, P. (1999). Basic Emotions. Handbook of Cognition and Emotion, 45-57. Retrieved from https://www.paulekman.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Basic-Emotions.pdf

2. Goldberg, J. (2012). Is it depression or just the blues? Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/depression/is-it-depression-or-the-blues

3. Lauwerijssen, K. (2008). Sadness. Retrieved from http://arno.uvt.nl/show.cgi?fid=113006

4. Schimelpfening, N. (2014). Beyond sadness: Is it clinical depression or sadness? Retrieved from http://depression.about.com/cs/amidepressed/a/sadness.htm

5. World Health Organization. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs369/en/

Last Updated: 08-21-2015

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Sadness is a transient emotional state that is generally associated with negative moods and unhappy feelings. What is Sadness? Sadness is considered to be one of the basic human emotions and it is a natural response to situations involving psychological, emotional, and/or physical pain. Sad feelings often quickly diminish after individuals resolve or come to ...

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There are many different types of emotions that have an influence on how we live and interact with others. At times, it may seem like we are ruled by these emotions. The choices we make, the actions we take, and the perceptions we have are all influenced by the emotions we are experiencing at any given moment.

Psychologists have also tried to identify the different types of emotions that people experience. A few different theories have emerged to categorize and explain the emotions that people feel.

Basic Emotions

During the 1970s, psychologist Paul Eckman identified six basic emotions that he suggested were universally experienced in all human cultures. The emotions he identified were happiness, sadness, disgust, fear, surprise, and anger. He later expanded his list of basic emotions to include such things as pride, shame, embarrassment, and excitement.

Combining Emotions

Psychologist Robert Plutchik put forth a "wheel of emotions" that worked something like the color wheel. Emotions can be combined to form different feelings, much like colors can be mixed to create other shades.

According to this theory, the more basic emotions act something like building blocks. More complex, sometimes mixed emotions, are blendings of these more basic ones. For example, basic emotions such as joy and trust can be combined to create love.

A 2017 study suggests that there are far more basic emotions than previously believed.﻿﻿ In the study published in Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, researchers identified 27 different categories of emotion.

Rather than being entirely distinct, however, the researchers found that people experience these emotions along a gradient.﻿﻿ Let's take a closer look at some of the basic types of emotions and explore the impact they have on human behavior.

Of all the different types of emotions, happiness tends to be the one that people strive for the most. Happiness is often defined as a pleasant emotional state that is characterized by feelings of contentment, joy, gratification, satisfaction, and well-being.

Research on happiness has increased significantly since the 1960s within a number of disciplines, including the branch of psychology known as positive psychology. This type of emotion is sometimes expressed through:

While happiness is considered one of the basic human emotions, the things we think will create happiness tend to be heavily influenced by culture. For example, pop culture influences tend to emphasize that attaining certain things such as buying a home or having a high-paying job will result in happiness.

The realities of what actually contributes to happiness are often much more complex and more highly individualized.﻿﻿ People have long believed that happiness and health were connected, and research has supported the idea that happiness can play a role in both physical and mental health.

Happiness has been linked to a variety of outcomes including increased longevity and increased marital satisfaction.﻿﻿ Conversely, unhappiness has been linked to a variety of poor health outcomes.

Stress, anxiety, depression, and loneliness, for example, have been linked to things such as lowered immunity, increased inflammation, and decreased life expectancy.﻿﻿

Sadness is another type of emotion often defined as a transient emotional state characterized by feelings of disappointment, grief, hopelessness, disinterest, and dampened mood.

Like other emotions, sadness is something that all people experience from time to time. In some cases, people can experience prolonged and severe periods of sadness that can turn into depression. Sadness can be expressed in a number of ways including:

The type and severity of sadness can vary depending upon the root cause, and how people cope with such feelings can also differ.

Sadness can often lead people to engage in coping mechanisms such as avoiding other people, self-medicating, and ruminating on negative thoughts. Such behaviors can actually exacerbate feelings of sadness and prolong the duration of the emotion.

Fear is a powerful emotion that can also play an important role in survival. When you face some sort of danger and experience fear, you go through what is known as the fight or flight response.

Your muscles become tense, your heart rate and respiration increase, and your mind becomes more alert, priming your body to either run from the danger or stand and fight.

This response helps ensure that you are prepared to effectively deal with threats in your environment. Expressions of this type of emotion can include:

Of course, not everyone experiences fear in the same way. Some people may be more sensitive to fear and certain situations or objects may be more likely to trigger this emotion.

Fear is the emotional response to an immediate threat. We can also develop a similar reaction to anticipated threats or even our thoughts about potential dangers, and this is what we generally think of as anxiety. Social anxiety, for example, involves an anticipated fear of social situations.

Some people, on the other hand, actually seek out fear-provoking situations. Extreme sports and other thrills can be fear-inducing, but some people seem to thrive and even enjoy such feelings.

Repeated exposure to a fear object or situation can lead to familiarity and acclimation, which can reduce feelings of fear and anxiety.﻿﻿

This is the idea behind exposure therapy, in which people are gradually exposed to the things that frighten them in a controlled and safe manner. Eventually, feelings of fear begin to decrease.

Disgust is another of the original six basic emotions described by Eckman. Disgust can be displayed in a number of ways including:

This sense of revulsion can originate from a number of things, including an unpleasant taste, sight, or smell. Researchers believe that this emotion evolved as a reaction to foods that might be harmful or fatal. When people smell or taste foods that have gone bad, for example, disgust is a typical reaction.

Poor hygiene, infection, blood, rot, and death can also trigger a disgust response. This may be the body's way of avoiding things that may carry transmittable diseases.﻿﻿

People can also experience moral disgust when they observe others engaging in behaviors that they find distasteful, immoral, or evil.

Anger can be a particularly powerful emotion characterized by feelings of hostility, agitation, frustration, and antagonism towards others. Like fear, anger can play a part in your body's fight or flight response.

When a threat generates feelings of anger, you may be inclined to fend off the danger and protect yourself. Anger is often displayed through:

Facial expressions: such as frowning or glaring

Body language: such as taking a strong stance or turning away

Tone of voice: such as speaking gruffly or yelling

Physiological responses: such as sweating or turning red

Aggressive behaviors: such as hitting, kicking, or throwing objects

While anger is often thought of as a negative emotion, it can sometimes be a good thing. It can be constructive in helping clarify your needs in a relationship, and it can also motivate you to take action and find solutions to things that are bothering you.

Anger can become a problem, however, when it is excessive or expressed in ways that are unhealthy, dangerous, or harmful to others. Uncontrolled anger can quickly turn to aggression, abuse, or violence.

This type of emotion can have both mental and physical consequences. Unchecked anger can make it difficult to make rational decisions and can even have an impact on your physical health.﻿﻿

Anger has been linked to coronary heart diseases and diabetes. It has also been linked to behaviors that pose health risks such as aggressive driving, alcohol consumption, and smoking.

Surprise is another one of the six basic types of human emotions originally described by Eckman. Surprise is usually quite brief and is characterized by a physiological startle response following something unexpected.

This type of emotion can be positive, negative, or neutral. An unpleasant surprise, for example, might involve someone jumping out from behind a tree and scaring you as you walk to your car at night.

An example of a pleasant surprise would be arriving home to find that your closest friends have gathered to celebrate your birthday. Surprise is often characterized by:

Surprise is another type of emotion that can trigger the fight or flight response. When startled, people may experience a burst of adrenaline that helps prepare the body to either fight or flee.﻿﻿

Surprise can have important effects on human behavior. For example, research has shown that people tend to disproportionately notice surprising events.

This is why surprising and unusual events in the news tend to stand out in memory more than others. Research has also found that people tend to be more swayed by surprising arguments and learn more from surprising information.

Other Types of Emotions

The six basic emotions described by Eckman are just a portion of the many different types of emotions that people are capable of experiencing. Eckman's theory suggests that these core emotions are universal throughout cultures all over the world.

However, other theories and new research continue to explore the many different types of emotions and how they are classified. Eckman later added a number of other emotions to his list but suggested that unlike his original six emotions, not all of these could necessarily be encoded through facial expressions. Some of the emotions he later identified included:

Other Theories of Emotion

As with many concepts in psychology, not all theorists agree on how to classify emotions or what the basic emotions actually are. While Eckman's theory is one of the best known, other theorists have proposed their own ideas about what emotions make up the core of the human experience.

For example, some researchers have suggested that there are only two or three basic emotions. Others have suggested that emotions exist in something of a hierarchy. Primary emotions such as love, joy, surprise, anger, and sadness can then be further broken down into secondary emotions. Love, for example, consists of secondary emotions, such as affection and longing.

These secondary emotions might then be broken down still further into what are known as tertiary emotions. The secondary emotion of affection includes tertiary emotions, such as liking, caring, compassion, and tenderness.

A more recent study suggests that there are at least 27 distinct emotions, all of which are highly interconnected. After analyzing the responses of more than 800 men to more than 2,000 video clips, researchers created an interactive map to demonstrate how these emotions are related to one another.

"We found that 27 distinct dimensions, not six, were necessary to account for the way hundreds of people reliably reported feeling in response to each video," explained the senior researcher Dacher Keltner, faculty director of the Greater Good Science Center.

In other words, emotions are not states that occur in isolation. Instead, the study suggests that there are gradients of emotion and that these different feelings are deeply inter-related.

Alan Cowen, the study's lead author and doctoral student in neuroscience at UC Berkeley, suggests that better clarifying the nature of our emotions can play an important role in helping scientists, psychologists, and physicians learn more about how emotions underlie brain activity, behavior, and mood. By building a better understanding of these states, he hopes that researchers can develop improved treatments for psychiatric conditions.

A Word From Verywell

Emotions play a critical role in how we live our lives, from influencing how we engage with others in our day to day lives to affecting the decisions we make. By understanding some of the different types of emotions, you can gain a deeper understanding of how these emotions are expressed and the impact they have on your behavior.

It is important to remember, however, that no emotion is an island. Instead, the many emotions you experience are nuanced and complex, working together to create the rich and varied fabric of your emotional life.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

1. Cowen AS, Keltner D. Self-report captures 27 distinct categories of emotion bridged by continuous gradients. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2017;114(38):E7900-E7909. doi:10.1073/pnas.1702247114

2. Gruber J, Moskowitz JT, eds. Positive Emotion, Integrating the Light Sides and Dark Sides. OUP USA; 2014. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199926725.001.0001

3. Gottlieb MM. The Angry Self: a Comprehensive Approach to Anger Management. Phoenix, AZ: Zeig, Tucker & Co.; 1999.

4. Anwar Y. Emoji fans take heart: Scientists pinpoint 27 states of emotion. Berkeley News. 2017.

Additional Reading

Cowen, AS & Keltner, D. Self-report captures 27 distinct categories of emotion bridged by continuous gradients. Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences. 2017. doi: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1702247114.

Mellers, B, Fincher, K, Drummond, C, Bigony, M. Surprise: A belief or an emotion? In V.S. Chandrasekhar Pammi and Narayanan Srinivasan (Eds.)., Progress in Brain Research, Vol. 202, Amsterdam: The Netherlands, 2013, pp. 3-19.

Shirai, M & Suzuki, N. Is sadness only one emotion? Psychological and physiological responses to sadnesss induced by two different situations: "Loss of someone" and "failure to achieve a goal." Frontiers in Psychology. 2017;8:288. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00288.

Staicu, ML & Cutov, M. Anger and health risk behaviors. Journal of Medicine and Life. 2010;3(4):372-375.

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The 6 Types of Basic Emotions and Their Effect on Human Behavior

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Learn about six types of basic human emotions, plus find out how emotions influence our behavior and reactions.

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Are you feeling unmotivated and sad? How find joy in life again? It's easier than you think.

Have you noticed how, sometimes, sadness just clings to you? There's a good reason. Yes, you read that right: if you're sad, there's a good reason. And, it may surprise you to know that what triggered the sadness isn't always the same as the reason you're sad.

You won't be sad forever, but, at this moment, it's perfectly OK to be sad. For now, please accept the sadness you feel, as if it is a gift you don't want, given by someone who cares. Please don't resist the feeling; just go with it...for now.

Accept the Sadness?

Yes. Accept the sadness, and accept how unmotivated you feel because of it. These two things go together: sadness slows us down. Why?

Unlike fear and anger, which can arrive like an electric shock and startle us into action, sadness has a different effect. Sadness is supposed to slow us down, to make us take time to reflect on the trigger that made us sad. Maybe it's the death of someone who was close. Maybe it's troublesome world issues. Whatever the sadness trigger, the unmotivated feeling that goes along with it is perfectly normal. We're supposed to take time with sadness.

You - feeling unmotivated and sad - are doing it perfectly. That's exactly right.

But I've been sad for so long, you say. How can this be a good thing?

Just accept it. That's how it is. There's no "correct" optimal amount of time to be sad. The length of time we spend with that feeling is as varied as all of us are.
Music Quest Discovery. Courage in sadness.
Judgment-Neutral Acceptance

We all have the tendency to make some kind of judgment about how we feel as if our feelings were flavors of ice cream that we enjoy or not. Feelings such as sadness tend to have a lot of judgment about them, but hitting some kind of internal "like" or "ignore" button on our sadness isn't being judgment-neutral. It's important to be discerning, but acceptance doesn't require you to swipe left or right on a feeling.

For example, when my Dad died, I expected to be really sad. I found that I wasn't as sad as I thought I ought to be, which seemed weirdly wrong. That was me being judgmental rather than accepting. Then, sometime later, a silly unrelated thing triggered me and I wept inconsolably. Of course, it took me a little time to figure out that I was finally weeping for my Dad, and that I'd begun to accept the sadness Dad's passing held for me...without trying to decide if I was doing it right or if it was good to cry.

When I stopped trying to fit into some way that I believed grief was supposed to fit me - being in judgment of myself for not feeling what I believed I was supposed to feel - grief found a way into me and gave me a healthy expression (weeping).

Accept without judgment and allow the feeling to be fully realized and expressed. Both those things are necessary, whether the feeling is fear, anger, sadness, or joy.

How to Trigger Sadness, Safely and Effectively

Part of my job as a musician is to make music that triggers feelings. When I do that well, the feelings in the music trigger me, too.

If you feel connected to the music I play for you, we share those triggers and their associated feelings. This works in live performance and in private listening. However you choose to hear music, it's a safe and effective way to trigger feelings. In fact, music is one of the most ubiquitous feeling triggers we have, but, like a demanding toddler or a persistent boss, music requires that we bring our focus to it to maximize what it holds for us.

When I got triggered by that innocuous thing and cried heartily about losing my Dad, I recognized that I had a whole lifetime of unexpressed grief about Dad stored up inside. Those accumulated feelings from my whole life were beginning to find ways to get out, and my job was to allow that to happen. When I started doing that, I also realized I was on my way to joy.

Sad Songs

There are songs that make me really sad. When I take the time to really listen to them, and most importantly, allow the sadness to rise up inside me, those songs become pathways through sadness to what's on the other side. Often, that's joy.

Do any of your favorite songs do that for you? If so, take a few minutes to listen to them deeply. Do that in a place where you won't be disturbed, where you feel safe to cry or get angry or just be in acceptance of whatever feelings arrive. Listen without judgment. Allow yourself to be with the music and with however it triggers you. Cry, sing, yell, dance, pray...just allow it all.

Music is just one way to trigger sadness. You may find that a walk in the forest, or along the beach, or connecting in some way with nature can trigger sadness for you. Mostly, a sadness of this kind is meant to be a solitary experience, but you may be more comfortable in a communal place: kneeling in church or attending a concert. Funerals, memorials, and wakes are supposed to be safe places to experience sadness. Be curious about what works best for you, and don't judge yourself if something doesn't. Just keep searching for the safe, effective way that triggers sadness for you.

"But I always feel sad," you say. I get it. That's me, too.

When Sadness Never Goes Away

We need to take a detour here for a few minutes because there are lots of us who feel that our sadness will never go away.

Some of us carry so much sadness that it feels like we never could know joy. The only healthy way to be with that kind of overwhelming sadness is acceptance. You can't medicate those deep feelings...that only covers them up. Ignoring, meditating, or working hard to suppress deep feelings isn't good, either; feelings find ways to express themselves anyhow.

For example, my adolescent depression has followed me for the rest of my life. I believe that depression was the result of suppressing my anger. Learning to allow anger instead of stuffing it away has been a lifelong practice. I put some of that practice into music, but acceptance of anger, for me, has been difficult.

The practice of accepting my anger is much easier, though, when I allow my anger to be expressed safely (without breaking things and hurting people), and still remain judgment-neutral. Some things are supposed to make us angry, right? Just like some things are supposed to make us sad. When I learned how to have an accurate experience of the feelings of anger I started my release from feelings of depression.

Persistent sadness, like my persistent anger, is a cry for acceptance. Instead of thinking "I shouldn't be sad all the time," or "When will this sadness ever go away?" it's better to welcome the feeling, even if it's unwanted. Allow the feeling; go deeply and safely into it; see if there are any unexplored places in the feeling that need your attention.

When feelings persist that way, it saves some time, since we don't have to find a trigger for them. That's time we can spend on acceptance rather than resisting the unwanted feeling, and acceptance leads to transformation.

Many chronically sad people have found ways to make that feeling useful. Artists, musicians, and makers use those feelings to fuel their creativity. Others find a safe expression and exploration of their feelings in a hobby that seems unrelated to their profession, but actually keeps them safely connected to feelings they'd rather not have.

For people, like me, whose unwanted feelings seem to never go away, there's an additional sort of crazy thing that happens: we learn to fake it in public. We figure out how to appear joyful around other people so that they won't worry about how we really feel. Yes, I know: other people - especially those who are close to me - sometimes see right through me and my bad acting! But I've learned to appear as good as possible in the wild while I privately - sometimes internally while I'm acting in the wild - practice acceptance. I've learned how to get gold from the feelings I don't want.

Yes: there's gold there...even in overwhelming or persistent feelings you and I don't want. I find the commitment to "acting as if" even in small ways creates opportunities for the act to morph into authenticity, improving my odds to strike it rich with joy.

Now we can rejoin the next main point of this article: finding joy.

Beautiful Opposites

Whether you intentionally trigger sad feelings or find them omnipresent, acceptance of the sadness gift may seem strange. Some lucky few of us are brought up to embrace sadness as one of the amazing capabilities we have, but the majority of us are taught to judge our feelings - whatever they are - into two categories: "like" or "ignore."

Swipe left, or swipe right. Good and bad. Sound familiar?

Here's another pair of opposites: sadness and joy.

There's an implication, isn't there, that sadness is somehow "bad" and joy is somehow "good."

Physiologically, both of those feelings are simply responses to a stimulus: one set of neurotransmitters goes along with feeling sad, and another, somewhat different set of neurotransmitters goes along with feeling joy.

The Physiology of Feeling

At their root, feelings are really only physiology, and physiology doesn't judge. Physiology - in this case, our lizard brain or amygdala - only "cares" about keeping us safe, well fed, and procreative. Not much has changed since that part of our brain began responding to stimuli several millennia ago.

I understand good feels better than bad. Sadness isn't pleasant. But here's the thing: if sadness is what I've got, I'd better get comfortable with it, allow it to work on me, and see if there's anything in it that needs to be "processed." When I learn the authentic reason for that sadness, I can grieve it properly, or use it as a tool to energize me or share it with others who are sad for the same reason. If we allow ourselves to be sad on purpose, with purpose, we accelerate our arrival at joy. That's the process.

So take a cue from physiology and encouragement from the Old Masters (who have been processing sadness this way in ancient philosophy and religion and art and politics since humans grew a neocortex to do so): accept sadness the way you would accept joy.

They say that "having a good cry" is healthy, and I believe it is. Feelings come and go, and, as much as we'd like to hang on to the ones we like for longer, our human systems are built to respond to our environment in ways that protect us from harm (thank you, amygdala!), and only serious training and practice can override our built-in responses. Think of pro athletes or Special Operations combat warriors whose training helps them perform at the top of their game in the face of fear and adversity. What would your training for peak performance with sadness look like? For joy?

If you've never been joyful before, it can feel strange the first time you really, consciously, embody joy. That's where I was as a young adult. I'd been told all my life to be happy, but I really didn't know how that felt. I was really good at sadness and depression - I gave myself lots of practice with those feelings - but I didn't have a joy practice. When I learned how to practice joy, everything changed.

That all changes right now for you, too.

A Joy Practice

I found that I had a superpower I could use to let others be joyful. I could make music that made other people laugh, smile, feel relaxed and happy. (You can read more about that in this article.) Once I made that connection, I started to use my practice more responsibly. I looked for opportunities to make music for people. As I began to use my superpower this way, I started to feel joy.

That's right: the practice of triggering joy in others had the effect of triggering my own joy, too. More important to me was that I had discovered a way to create joy!

There's plenty of evidence that we must first give what we expect to receive, and my experience confirms that, for me, this is true. I suspect it's true for you, too.

My practice of joy - or more correctly, the practice of triggering joy in others - was still only a small part of what I felt most of the time. It still is today, but it's a bigger percentage than it was when I started this practice. I improve through sheer determination.

And the sadness? I've found that allowing - accepting - the sad feelings when they come or triggering them intentionally are great ways to keep all that sadness from building up inside me. Many therapists have been supportive of this process - how I let go of sadness by allowing it to flow through me. The same process works for fear and anger as well as sadness.

Joy is Still Fleeting

As much as I love feeling joy, I've also gotten comfortable with how fleeting joy can be. My joy isn't very durable, yet. Fear, anger, or my old friend, sadness, can wipe out my joy in an instant.

What do I do? First, I allow the invading feeling to be fully felt - without hurting anyone or breaking things - and then offer myself a judgment-neutral opportunity to accept whatever feeling comes next. If I am free to choose the next feeling I want (which I wish was more of the time!) I try to choose a feeling I like.

Here's an example. Road rage? After I get steamed up (it's important to allow the anger!) I choose compassion and drive more defensively. No one else on the road should have to be impacted by an inconsiderate driver, especially me.

Sadness and Joy in Real Life

The world news is all bad. The kids are sick, but not sick enough to stay home from school. No one's done their homework and it's time to head out the door and I've just remembered the work I didn't finish last night is due today. I'm running distressed, anxious, overwhelmed, and sad that it always seems like this. Every morning. Even on the weekends, there's always some demand or another. Where is there any time for joy? How can I practice in the middle of this mess?

Lots of triggers there. It's important to feel them all fully. That could mean taking an extra thirty seconds before starting the car, just to let all the emotional stuff flow through and go. It will seem impossible at first, but, with time and practice, your ability will improve and the time it takes to exercise it will decrease.

Ninja-level practitioners of sadness and joy in the wild, like Tony Robbins, have taken this to the level of fine art. You can watch Tony at work in a documentary called " I Am Not Your Guru," and I promise you that, even if you only have time to watch the first few minutes, it will inspire you.

And you deserve inspiration.

You have taken a step closer to joy by reading this article. Now, you have practical ways to use sadness, even overwhelming sadness, to fuel your acceptance on your way to joy.

Stuck? Let Us Help.

We all could use a little help now and then! Feeling unmotivated and sad can be a lonely place as you start a joy practice. Accountability and a fellow traveler often help. You can do this. And you're not alone. You can work alongside us to help supercharge your process by engaging healing music - music you love - for your wellness. Schedule a consultation here.

Or, perhaps you're ready for a deeper dive? The Music Care Quest, a fully-mentored online active-learning experience will immerse you in practical ways to meet life's challenges with skills you may not realize you already have. It's not for everybody, but you are that unique individual who really resonates with the power of music and wants to learn to wield it with skill, give it a try. The landing page is here.

Finally, if nothing is working and you want to find clinical assistance, this is a good place to start.

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Feeling Unmotivated And Sad? How To Find Joy In Life Again

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Are you feeling unmotivated and sad? How find joy in life again? It's easier than you think. Have you noticed how, sometimes, sadness just clings to you? There's a good reason. Yes, you read that right: if you're sad, there's a good reason.

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Written March 2018 Updated September 2020

If you ask parents what they most want for their child, many will say something like this: "I just want my child to be happy". Whilst most of us know, at a logical level, that we can't make this happen, seeing our children frequently or deeply sad, is very confronting.

Observing sadness in our children often feels different to parents than it does to observe them experience other emotions. When we see our child anxious, frustrated or even disappointed it feels to us that these are normal, temporary and resolvable. We also feel like there is a role for us to teach and support our children through these emotions.

But seeing our children experience frequent or strong sadness - and not being able to make them feel better - is much more painful. It can make parents feel helpless, frustrated, worried - and like a failure at some very deep level. It feels "wrong" in some subconscious way.

However, the truth is - it is not uncommon for children to experience times of sadness. Although only about 2-3% of prepubertal children will experience the type and extent of sadness psychologists will diagnose as a formal depressive disorder, many more children experience slightly less severe - but still persistent and frequent - sadness at some point during their childhood.
Which children experience frequent and persistent sad moods - and when?
Children are more likely to experience sad moods when they have to deal with tough life circumstances. For example, children who are managing family separation, grief, physical illness, learning problems, family poverty, family ill health or other tough life situations are more likely to experience frequent sadness. Indigineous children are also more likely to experience frequent sad moods, probably partly because there are higher rates of this population dealing with the above "tough life circumstances". Older children are more likely to experience sadness than younger children.

Children are also more likely to experience sad and hopeless moods if they have a biological tendency towards psychological and emotional sensitivity. I like to call these children, "kids with big feelings". These children experience strong reactions to life, feel things deeply and think about life deeply. Sometimes they are clever, creative and socially and emotionally sensitive. If you have a child like this, you will know exactly what I mean - and these "kids with big feelings" are more prone to experiencing times of sadness.
What does persistent sadness look like in children?
Here's an example of what this kind of sadness might look like in the life of a child.
Justin*, aged 9, came to see me after his parents had separated. His parents told me they were worried about him and also frustrated by his behavior in the past few months. They said he was always irritable and angry with his younger siblings, would cry "at the drop of a hat", was always saying he was "tired", had asked to drop out of his (previously enjoyed) soccer team and had begun to sit alone and recess and lunch time, despite being asked to play with his friends. When I spoke to Justin, he said to me he doesn't have many friends and that he doesn't like soccer anymore. He said he misses his Dad when he lives at his Mum's house, and misses his Mum when he lives at Dad's house. He also said he feels like "school is stupid", and that he feels sad and angry a lot but he doesn't really know why. His eyes filled with tears while talking with me in the session, and I was soon to discover that this would happen each session for some time.
Justin's story is typical of these children. As you can see, when children are feeling frequently sad, they will be less interested in socializing, find life more effortful, will be less interested in being physical active or doing enjoyable activities, will be more likely to cry. They may be irritable about everything, complain a lot, tell you they are in pain or tired. They may appear to have low self esteem and say things to themselves like "I'm no good". Some children may even talk about death "I'd rather be dead", "there is no point to life" and "I wish I'd never been born".

Common reactions from parents with children going through this are to feel helpless and worried. It is also likely that they have been frustrated and angry with their sad child or with others (I've talked with parents who feel angry with their child's peers, teachers, other parent - they might know deep down it's not these people's fault their child is sad - but they are looking for someone to blame).
Justin's parents felt helpless. They had tried to encourage Justin to "think positively" and they'd try to cheer him up. They'd also frequently been frustrated with him and shouted at times, particularly when Justin had acted in particularly irritable and angry ways with his siblings. They also expressed frustration with Justin's peer group who they felt were not being kind, they had also felt the school hadn't managed some bullying which had occurred in the previous year. What should parents of sad children do?
If you have a child prone to or experiencing times of sadness, here are three messages which might help you - and your child.

1. Remind yourself that your sad child is not feeling sad all the time (even if they feel they are).

It's normal for children (and adults) in the midst of sad moods to genuinely feel like they are sad all the time. They will often say to you, "I'm always sad", they will express excessively negative opinions about their day, the event they just went to, their school day and their friends and classmates. Their self report may suggest to you that there is nothing positive happening for your child and that they feel bad all the time.

However, this self report is not 100% true but simply a function of how the human brain works. When we are in negative moods, our brains are designed to focus on the problems. Children (and adults) will subconsciously "block out" positive memories, interactions, people and events when they are feeling bad. But this doesn't mean they are not there.

It is important for parents - and their children - to know that sadness is not constant. Even children who are frequently sad, have many moments each day of being absorbed in a task, enjoying an activity for a moment or to have some periods of time when they are looking forward to something. It's important for us as parents, and our child, to remember this, and to help them identify these "shades of grey" in their mood.

Of course, this isn't to say a child isn't still experiencing a great deal of sadness. Sometimes they are. This brings us to the next point.
2. Over time, your child will gradually feel less sad, less often.
Persistent and long lasting depression in childhood is extremely rare. The chances are excellent that your child will feel less sad, less often at some point in the near future. Having worked with hundreds of children, I know that almost all children will have reductions in sadness over time.

Be assured: it is very likely that life will change for the better for your child at some point. They will adjust to difficult life events, grief will resolve, they will have a change in peer group, they will find an activity or part of life which feels meaningful and interesting for them, or life will change for them in some other way.

Even if the sources of sadness do not change significantly, they are likely to learn to think about life and cope with life in ways which make sadness less frequent. Especially with support and help to do this. This brings us to my next point.
3. As parents you can help your sad child.
Parents often feel helpless when their attempts to help their sad child don't seem to help. They feel like there is nothing they can do. This is not true.

As parents we can coach and support our child to help themselves to feel less sad and to cope with tough life events. No, there is no quick and easy fix, but we can make a difference slowly as time passes.

Now to the practical.

I've listed 10 ideas below which parents can use to help their child cope with sad times.

1. Be empathic. Be "with them". Say "I'm sorry you had a hard day" and "I'm sorry you are feeling sad at the moment".

2. Try to be patient with your child. Remember your child can't "make themselves" be positive or happy.

3. Ask about specific "sad time triggers". Although children will sometimes be sad "for no reason", it is more often that there are at least some situations, thoughts or events which do trigger or cause sadness. Try to help children identify at least some of these - and then think about how these can be managed differently (or avoided).

4. Although we need to be on the lookout for and ask about triggers, it's also important to NOT talk endlessly about the sadness or the problems. Having hour long conversations (especially before bed) may make things worse. Tell your child "we will talk about this again soon, but now let's read a book/watch TV" etc.

5. Try to also limit your own frustration with others - don't blame other people for your child's sadness. Teachers, doctors, parents and other children aren't the (sole) source of the problem and they can't "fix" your child either.

6. Gently teach children to notice the ups and downs of their mood - pick your moment but empathically challenge comments like "I'm always sad" - feeling this way is part of sadness, but is not 100% true. Ask them to notice when they felt good or interested or absorbed in something and sadness wasn't their focus.

7. Teach children to notice the positive aspects of their day and positive events in the future. Put in "gratitude" exercises around the tea table occasionally and "my interesting week" exercises. Make some of these "past" focused, and others focused on the future.

8. Constantly work on social connection - it is very difficult to reduce sadness in children if they are isolated and have no positive source of friendship. Even if there are other obvious sadness triggers (ie grief, family separation, learning problems, health problems) - increasing social connection will help children feel less sad as they deal with them.

9. Keep working on helping your child finding sources of self esteem and meaning. Children (like adults) need to feel they are good at something, or that there is something interesting and important for them to do.

10. Work on physical activity, sleep and nutrition. Sadness eases when children are more physically fit and active, get enough sleep and eat well. Don't neglect these areas.

11. Teach children ways to cope with periods of sadness. Help them make a list of "busy brain" activities so that when they are sad they do not withdraw or ruminate for long. Help them use words to tell people about their sadness rather than get angry or cry. Help them identify a problem which triggers their sadness and see if they can come up with potential steps to manage it.

12. Ask for help from other professionals. Psychologists, teachers, school counsellors and GPs can support you and your child to slowly do all of the above.

Finally, look after yourself. As I've said several times in this article, supporting children who get sad is a challenging and stressful experience for parents. If you are to manage any challenging and stressful experience, you need to look after your own physical, mental and emotional health. Take care of yourself, talk to others, get professional support, take breaks from parenting or do whatever else works for you in looking after yourself.

Best wishes in this important work

Kirrilie

If you want your child to watch a video for them about being sad and how to manage it, we have a short animation called "Sadness, and ideas to manage it" in our Calm Kid Central program. There is also an activity sheet for children about noticing the positive aspects of their day and their life which children can use to help track positives. To get access to the video and worksheet, click here.

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Help, my child is always sad: tearfulness, sadness and depression in young people - Developing Minds

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If you ask parents what they most want for their child, many will say something like this: "I just want my child to be happy". Whilst most of us know, at a logical level, that we can't make this happen, seeing our children frequently or deeply sad, is very confr

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6 Differences Between Sadness and Depression

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What is sadness?

Sadness is defined as having grief, sorrow, or unhappiness. Sad feelings are also a part of depression and related to other parts of depression including poor self-worth, poor sleep, and difficulty enjoying things.

Although we can sometimes get caught in our sad feelings, we don't have to. We can undo sadness and start growing our happiness and well-being (take this well-being quiz to start). Here are some ways to deal with sad feelings.

1. Beat rumination

Rumination is when you get stuck in your head, thinking about all the negative stuff that has gone wrong or could go wrong. Rumination is a key feature of depression and contributes to so much unnecessary sad feelings. That's why beating rumination is an important first step to getting through sadness.

To stop the rumination, try engaging your body in some activity that is intense enough that you can't think for a few minutes. For example, you could do sprints or take an ice-cold shower. This shock can stop your brain from cycling and force it to focus on the present moment.

2. Imagine a bright future, not a gloomy future

If something has happened to us to make us sad, we might become sadness-prone-only thinking about the worst things that could happen. It's common because we feel like if we think through these bad outcomes, we can better prepare. But it just makes us feel worse in the long run. Our sadness can snowball into feeling all sorts of other negative emotions.

So try to imagine a brighter future, even if only in an exercise to help your brain break through sad feelings. Here's an exercise to imagine future happiness.

3. Cultivate mindfulness skills

Mindfulness involves self-reflection to gain awareness and acceptance of thoughts and emotions. Mindfulness can undo negative thinking styles that generate excess sadness.

To practice this skill, pause, pay attention to your negative emotions and attempt to approach them with curiosity instead of judgment.

4. Try cognitive reappraisal

Reappraisal is an emotion regulation strategy that we can use to reinterpret a sad situation in a more positive (or less negative) way. Reappraisal is hard for many of us, and if we have a hard time seeing the silver linings, this can contribute to higher levels of sadness and depression.

Luckily, we can get better at reappraisal. We just have to practice thinking about what's good in the situation. What are you grateful for, how could it have gone worse, or what small things are actually good? By using reappraisal, you can stop sad feelings.

5. Read some books on overcoming sadness

There are so many science-based strategies you can use to undo sadness. By reading self-help books, you can begin to learn and implement these strategies into your life.

So grab some high-quality self-help books or take an online program to boost happiness and learn the skills you need to decrease your sad feelings.

6. Boost your serotonin

Low serotonin is linked to depression. So how might you increase serotonin?

One quick way is to eat carbohydrates. Yeah, it turns out that the warm fuzzy feeling we get when we eat carbs is in part due to the serotonin boost we get from them. Another way to boost serotonin is to (carefully) take 5-HTP supplements, which help increase serotonin in the body. And aerobic exercise, in particular, may contribute to higher levels of serotonin.

7. Eat less sugar

I was super surprised to discover greater sugar intake is linked to higher levels of depression. We already knew sugar we bad for our physical health, but it turns out to be bad for our mental health, too. So try not to consume so much sugar if you're struggling with sad feelings.

8. Don't obsess about your sad feelings

Depression Essential Reads

Feeling sad sucks. But we can't allow ourselves to obsess about it. If we focus too much on our lack of happiness and worry about being stuck in sadness, we just make things worse. So try to focus on actions you can take and things you can do to feel better, rather than focusing specifically on your sad feelings.

9. Get a positive emotion boost

Positive emotions broaden our thought processes and build on themselves, creating a lifeline to us when we're stuck in sadness. That's why doing things to create more positive emotions is so important for reducing our sadness.

There are so many ways to create positive emotions. In many ways, this may be easier than decreasing the negative emotions directly. For example, you can improve your ability to think positively or practice gratitude. You can also do things you enjoy, like spending time with friends, going outside, or reading. Whatever makes you happy, do these things.

10. Outsmart your smartphone

We're on our phones 24-7. But spending too much time on our phones or the internet is associated with higher levels of depression and loneliness. So you need to learn how to "outsmart your smartphone" and use our phones in ways that increase happiness instead of sadness.

11. Be kind to yourself

Challenging self-critical thoughts and being self-compassionate can help reduce negative emotions like sadness. So if you're being really hard on yourself, try thinking about your good qualities and strengths.

12. Make a plan

​There are many actions you can take to beat sadness, making a " happiness plan" can be helpful. For example, you could do one new sadness-busting strategy each day. Whatever works for you to ensure you'll do the things that make you feel better is what matters most.

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Here are 12 ways to undo, deflate, and reduce sadness to get your life back.

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Of all the many human emotions, sadness can be one of the most difficult to manage. It occurs at many levels and in many different ways: it can be as simple as disappointment or as complex as grief and depression. Commonly identified as one of the primary or core emotions, sadness is also one of the first to develop and can be experienced very early in life. Magination Press book, A Feel Better Book For Little Tears by Holly Brochmann and Leah Bowen, is a beginner's book that addresses the overall concept of sadness. It also provides parents and caregivers tools not only to help children process and cope with this difficult emotion, but to convey that it is normal-everyone feels sad sometimes. Here are some ways you can help your child understand and cope with sadness:
Responding to Sadness
Sadness can be felt, and expressed, in a variety of physical ways. Tears are the most obvious indications of sadness, but children may manifest sadness in other ways like anger, isolation, clinginess, or stomach ache. A child may be unable to communicate or even recognize some of these physical manifestations.

As a parent, first take note of changes in behavior that may demonstrate the less obvious reactions. Then you can help them connect those reactions to the sadness with verbal cues.

For example, if your child is being extra clingy, you can simply acknowledge their feelings by saying, "I know it makes you sad when Mommy can't be with you all the time."

Children can be sad for so many reasons, some of which may be significant to others, while others may seem miniscule or even ridiculous. It's important to remember that while the child's feelings may appear insignificant to you as an adult, they are quite the opposite from the child's perspective. Bear in mind age-appropriate sadness and respond with both empathy and sympathy rather than trivializing your child's feelings. "I'm so sorry you can't wear your monster shirt today. I know it's your favorite and you are sad when it isn't clean. I understand how you feel, because I feel sad when that happens to me, too."
Normalizing Sadness
One of the most important messages you can convey to your child during times of sadness is that you are there for them. Sadness can be a lonely emotion, especially if experiencing something very personal and individual. It helps to have support from someone who knows what you are going through.

If your child loses their favorite stuffed animal, for example, listen to them, however often they want to talk about it. Storytelling in this way may be their way to process their feelings. You may also normalize their feelings by sharing a story about how you experienced a similar loss when you were their age. Be honest about how sad you were and how you cried. Talk about what helped you with your sad feelings. In the meantime, let your child know you will be there for them if they need extra hugs or snuggles, or if they need to cry.

Parents often try to be strong for their children, to show them that everything will be okay. However, it can actually be beneficial for a child to see adults showing appropriate emotion. It is okay to say, "Daddy is sad, too." This normalizes the child's sadness and demonstrates that feelings are not something they need to try to mask or feel ashamed of.
Coping With Sad Feelings
Creative activities can be a wonderful outlet for expressing sad feelings in a constructive way. Instead of saying, "Don't feel sad," encourage your child to draw a picture about how they are feeling, sing, dance, or build something. Music, art, projects, modeling clay-there are many ways to use creativity to process emotions.

Teaching mindfulness and relaxation at an early age helps set the stage for children to continue to use these practices throughout a lifetime, especially if they learn it's doable, enjoyable, and beneficial. When your child is feeling sad, encourage them to try breathing deeply. That will increase the flow of oxygen and slow their heartbeat, creating a physical sense of calm.

Visualizing-or imagining-a calm, happy place, like the sea shore or a park can help them feel more calm, too. You can even encourage your child to draw their happy place when they are done visualizing it. Breathing deeply or visualizing with your child can help you stay calm in stressful times, as well!
There's Hope!
There is no get-over-sadness timeline. Depending on what your child is sad about, they may never lose the sense of loss, but over time they can learn how to cope and feel happy again. If the sadness is more minor, the child may move on quite fast. Either way, the child should be allowed to process their feelings at their own pace.

True strength and resilience are built by learning to process emotions rather than ignoring them. Allowing your child to experience and process sadness allows them to grieve the loss-an essential first step in the healing process. By allowing sad feelings to happen, your child is also learning that they are capable of coping with big emotions.

This article is a modified excerpt from Magination press book, A Feel Better Book for Little Tears , by Holly Brochmann and Leah Bowen.

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Helping Young Children Cope With Sadness

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Of all the many human emotions, sadness can be one of the most difficult to manage. It occurs at many levels and in many different ways: it can be as simple as disappointment or as complex as grief and depression.

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It's OK to feel sad from time to time. It's important to know what to do if the feeling becomes overwhelming (or if you feel sad all of the time).

Sadness is an important emotion to feel because it can motivate you to do something about a distressing situation.

You may feel sad for many reasons, like:

you've been disappointed

you've been rejected

you've been ignored

you've been misunderstood

you haven't achieved your goals

you lose something important to you (a loved one, your self-confidence, etc.)

You can experience sadness in both your mind and your body. When you feel sad, you may notice:

pain behind your eyes

a lump feeling in your throat

an aching feeling in your chest

you cry or feel like crying

you want to be alone

you want to curl up into a ball

you feel small

Remember, it's OK to be sad sometimes. There are some ways you can help yourself be OK with feelings of sadness:

It's OK to let it out: cry, yell, sob... whatever helps you to vent those feelings.

Breathing helps: focus on your breathing to help your body calm down.

You'll feel better soon: when you let yourself feel sad, you may feel better more quickly than when you try to stop your feelings.

You can take a break: if feeling sad starts to be too much, try doing something else for a while, such as writing, sports or hanging out with friends.

It's important to be kind, gentle and patient with yourself if you're feeling really low or vulnerable. Try to give yourself time to recover.

What makes you sad?

It may be helpful to identify things that make you feel sad. You can:

write down a list of things and situations that make you feel sad

write down a list of cues your body gives you to let you know when you're getting sad

write down a list of thoughts, images and feelings that come to mind when you feel sad

How do you deal with sadness?

When people feel sad, they often want to withdraw to give themselves time to recover. You may want to spend some time alone doing something you find soothing such as:

holding a pillow or stuffed animal

listening to soft, calming music

spending time with a pet

picturing the face of someone warm and caring (imagine hearing that person's voice)

Another way of coping with sadness is to reach out for support. You can try talking to a friend or family member about your feelings. You can also call a Kids Help Phone counsellor at 1-800-668-6868. Reaching out can help you remember you don't have to go through this experience alone.

While spending some time alone can be healthy, too much time alone can make you feel even worse. If you're withdrawing to the point where you're spending a lot of time alone, it could be a sign of depression, and it may be time to reach out for help. Kids Help Phone counsellors are available 24/7 at 1-800-668-6868 if you need to talk.

How to express sadness

Expressing your sadness in healthy ways can be a good way to deal with how you're feeling. Here are a few ways to express your sadness:

Let it out: vocalize your feelings (cry, yell, scream, etc.)

Get creative: draw, paint or sculpt

Let loose: listen to music that reflects your sadness and dance to it

Put it in writing: write about your feelings in a journal or keep a sadness diary

Share: talk about your feelings with someone you trust

What's the difference between sadness and depression?

If you're sad, you may just feel a little blue, or you may feel so low that you find it hard to get out of bed or talk to other people. Sadness is an emotion that usually comes and goes and gets better over time. Depression is a mental disorder that's deeper and longer-lasting.

If you think you may have depression, or if you're having trouble telling the difference between sadness and depression, you can read about depression and see if it makes sense. You can also call Kids Help Phone - a counsellor can help you talk through if what you're feeling is sadness or something more.
Sometimes, sadness can feel overwhelming, especially if you try to deal with it alone. It's a good idea to get support if you're feeling sad and talk to someone you trust.

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Let it out: How to cope with feeling sad

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Soothe your soul with these tips to beating the blues when you're feeling sad.

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Everyone feels sad sometimes, just like everyone can feel joyful, angry, proud and plenty of other emotions. In other words, everyone has feelings, and those feeling are always changing.

Sometimes we feel happy (such as when we're having fun) and sometimes we feel sad (such as when we lose a loved one). Whatever the feeling, it is real and part of living.

A may even help you. Our world focuses on happiness and treats unhappiness as an unnecessary or useless feeling. But sadness can slow you down, and make you really think about your life, your feelings and the people around you. It can help you keep sight of your relationships and dreams.

In other words, being sad doesn't mean you are not coping with a situation. Rather, it helps you come to terms with that situation and move on. It is an important emotion that can help you adapt, accept, focus, persevere and grow.

And there's more good news: you can learn to manage your sadness.

About sadness

We use different words to talk about sadness: agony, anguish, broken heart, hurt, sorrow, dejection, dismay, homesickness, distress, unhappiness and more. All these emotions are a response to a negative situation.

Sadness is also often a result of another feeling, such as anger, stress, guilt, grief, anxiety or hopelessness. Sometimes, the other feeling may be so strong that you don't realise you are sad.

So what does sadness feel like? It may change how you feel physically. Perhaps you have a stomach ache or a headache, or you can't sleep.

Sadness may also change how you feel emotionally. Perhaps you are teary, grumpy, bored or frustrated, or just keen to avoid other people.

But recognising your sadness, and understanding that it is okay to feel sad, is a sign of a .

You may feel sad for many reasons

Life is full of situations that may make people feel sad:

having trouble at home (for example, family fights or domestic violence)

having trouble at school or work, or feeling pressure there

moving home

losing a loved one or a friend

being ill, or caring for someone who is ill

experiencing chemical changes in your body (from puberty, drugs or medicines)

experiencing changes in your thoughts (for example, developing an unhelpful thinking style such as being self-critical, or learning new information about subjects such as poverty or terrorism).

When you face these situations, you may have unhelpful or negative thoughts about your sadness. And those thoughts can make you feel worse.

So, try a different approach: try to acknowledge your sadness and the situation that prompted it. And give yourself time to deal with any problems and feel better. You also may want to call on resources that could help you (such as friends and family, or a psychologist, or other health professional).

Sadness will ease

Feeling better can involve taking one step or many. It may happen quickly or over a long time. Just remember that emotions ebb and flow, and you can move through sadness to a more positive emotion.

First, acknowledge that you are feeling sad. Then, look at ways to deal with your sadness. You may want to try some of these tips:

Be honest with yourself and the people around you. Talk to someone whom you trust.

Seek help from a professional (a doctor, psychologist, or other health professional). You may need support, advice or a referral to a specialist.

Think about whether your sleep and eating patterns are good for you.

Help someone else. Just improving someone else's life, or being part of a community, can lift your spirits.

Find a creative way to express your sadness. Writing your thoughts in a diary, for example, may help you find a new perspective.

If a prescribed medication makes you feel down, let your doctor know. And talk to your doctor before taking any non-prescribed medications or complementary or alternative medicines.

Do things that you enjoy and that are good for you. Find ways to make your life more pleasurable: listen to music, go for a walk, read a book, call a friend.

Tackle one problem at a time. It doesn't matter if you start with the biggest or smallest problem, just make a list and begin.

Have confidence that things will improve. You need to trust that your sad feelings will lessen with time and effort.

Supporting someone else who is feeling sad

Maybe you know someone else who is feeling sad. Being supportive isn't always easy, because it's hard to know why someone is sad and how they are coping.

Here are four basic tips:

1. Ask the person if they are okay. Just checking shows you care.

2. Listen without judging.

3. Reassure them that sadness is a valid emotion, and can be overcome.

For more ideas about how to support someone who is sad, .

Sadness is different from depression

Feeling sad does not mean you have . But if your mood starts to interrupt your life and how you function, then you may have become depressed.

Key differences between sadness and clinical depression relate to the cause for the change in mood and how long you have felt that way.

If your mood relates to a recent event, such as a relationship breakup, then you may well be feeling sadness. But if that breakup was months ago, or you can see no clear reason for your change in mood, you could be depressed, and it might be helpful for you to chat to your GP about what's causing you to feel the way you do.
Let's look the differences between sadness and depression.

Sadness:

is part of life's regular ups and downs, but it is not constant

is a common reaction to an upset or setback, and is usually not a cause for worry

is interrupted by times of laughter and contentment

is an emotion that can involve negative thoughts but does not usually involve suicidal thoughts.

Depression:

is a longer term feeling (more than two weeks) of severe sadness and other symptoms. These symptoms may include sleeplessness, low energy, concentration problems, pessimism, loss of hope, suicidal thoughts and appetite issues.

has complicated causes, which may involve genetic or biological components. Maybe the person has experienced a trauma or psychological stress
can lead to significant weight change or sleep disruption.

is mentally painful and can be life altering.

Remember...

Everyone feels sad sometimes.

You can learn to manage your sadness.

Feeling sad does not mean you are experiencing

If you have been feeling persistently sad for more than two weeks or you have lost interest in most of your usual activities, you might be depressed. In this case, it is important to seek help.

Where to get help

Your

Tel.

Tel.

- Find a psychologist service Tel. (outside Melbourne) or (in Melbourne)

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Everyone feels sad sometimes, just like everyone can feel joyful, angry, proud and plenty of other emotions. In other words, everyone has feelings, and those feeling are always changing. Sometimes we feel happy (such as when we're having fun) and sometimes we feel sad (such as when we lose a loved one).

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Published on October 09, 2019

We all feel sad sometimes. Sadness is a normal emotion that can make life more interesting. Sadness almost always accompanies loss. When we say goodbye to a loved ones we usually feel sad. The sadness is even deeper if a close relationship has ended or a loved one has died.

Sadness also helps us appreciate happiness. When our mood eventually changes from sadness toward happiness, the sense of contrast adds to the enjoyment of the mood.
Here are some ways to experience normal sadness in healthy ways and to allow this emotion to enrich your life:

Allow yourself to be sad. Denying such feelings may force them underground, where they can do more damage with time. Cry if you feel like it. Notice if you feel relief after the tears stop.

Write in a journal, listen to music, spend time with friends or family, and/or draw to express the emotion sadness.

Think about the context of the sad feelings. Are they related to a loss or an unhappy event? Think about the feelings in a non-judging way and ride the wave of the experience.

Sadness can result from a change that you didn't expect, or it can signal that you might need to make changes in your life. Emotions are changing and will come and go.

Know when sadness turns into depression. Get help if this happens rather than getting stuck in it.

Signs of Depression:

Depressed mood (e.g. feeling sad or empty)

Lack of interest in previously enjoyable activities

Significant weight loss or gain, a decrease or increase in appetite

Insomnia or hypersomnia

Agitation, restlessness, irritability

Fatigue or loss of energy

Feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and guilt

Inability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness

Recurrent thoughts of death, recurrent suicidal ideation, suicide attempt or plan

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Published on October 09, 2019 We all feel sad sometimes. Sadness is a normal emotion that can make life more interesting. Sadness almost always accompanies loss. When we say goodbye to a loved ones we usually feel sad. The sadness is even deeper if a close relationship has ended or a loved one has died.

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Feeling down? Got the blues? You're not alone. Everyone feels sad at times. Sad feelings can be mild or strong or in between. How sad you feel can depend on the situation that's causing the sadness and how you're coping with it.

Sadness is a natural human emotion. Like other emotions, sad feelings come and go. Some sad feelings last only a moment, some last longer. When sad feelings ease away, a happier mood can take their place.

Are Sad Feelings Normal?

It's perfectly OK to have sad feelings at times. As long as they don't happen too often or last too long, sad feelings - like all emotions - are just a natural part of life.

But it doesn't feel good to stay sad. It feels much better to be happy. So here are some things every kid should know:

You can cope with sad things that happen.

You can do things to ease a sad mood and feel happier.

How Can You Deal With Sad Feelings?

Sad feelings don't have to take over your mood or ruin your day. You can do things to help yourself feel better. You can do things to prevent sad feelings from sticking around too long or becoming too strong.

Here are some positive ways to deal with sad feelings:

Notice how you feel and why. Knowing your emotions helps you understand and accept yourself. If you feel sad, notice it - but don't dwell on it too long or give it too much drama. Just tell yourself (or someone else) that you feel sad. Try to figure out why you feel that way. Show yourself a little understanding - there's probably a good reason you feel the way you do. It's OK. Remind yourself that sadness will pass and you'll feel better.

Bounce back from disappointments or failures. When things don't go your way, don't give up! Stay in the game. There's always next time. Give yourself credit for trying. Then focus on what you need to work on and try again. Keep a positive attitude.

Think positive. Even if you're sad, think of one or two good things about yourself or your situation. Believe in yourself. Think about what you can do and how things can get better. If you didn't get something you wanted, think of something else that can make you happy. There's always something good - look for it!

Think of solutions. Coming up with ways to solve a problem or cope with a situation can help you feel strong, confident, and good about yourself. It's hard to stay sad when you're feeling so capable!

Get support. Even the most capable kids need support. The people in your life who believe in you and care (like parents, friends, and teachers) can comfort you when you feel sad. Sometimes, just listening and understanding what you're going through is enough. Sometimes they can help you work out a problem or help you think of happier things to get your mind off sadness or disappointment.

Put yourself in a good mood. Shake off a sad mood by doing things that put you in a more positive mood. Play a game or sport, ride a bike, dance or run, take a walk, make art or music, read, or spend time with someone you like. Relax, have some fun, and feel better.

Learning to deal with sad feelings takes practice. But when you do things to take care of sadness, you make room for more positive feelings. That means a happier you!

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Feeling down? Got the blues? You're not alone. Everyone feels sad at times. Sad feelings can be mild or strong or in between. How sad you feel can depend on the situation that's causing the sadness and how you're coping with it. Sadness is a natural human emotion.

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Author: Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division

Sadness is a normal reaction to a loss, disappointment, problems, or other difficult situations. Feeling sad from time to time is just another part of being human. In these cases, feelings of sadness go away quickly and you can go about your daily life.

Other ways to talk about sadness might be 'feeling low,' 'feeling down,' or 'feeling blue.' A person may say they are feeling 'depressed,' but if it goes away on its own and doesn't impact life in a big way, it probably isn't the illness of depression.

Depression is a mental illness that affects your mood, the way you understand yourself, and the way you understand and relate to things around you. It can also go by different names, such as clinical depression, major depressive disorder, or major depression. Depression can come up for no reason, and it lasts for a long time. It's much more than sadness or low mood. People who experience depression may feel worthless or hopeless. They may feel unreasonable guilty. Some people may experience depression as anger or irritability. It may be hard to concentrate or make decisions. Most people lose interest in things that they used to enjoy and may isolate themselves from others. There are also physical signs of depression, such as problems with sleep, appetite and energy and unexplainable aches or pains. Some may experience difficult thoughts about death or ending their life (suicide). Depression lasts longer than two weeks, doesn't usually go away on its own, and impacts your life. It's a real illness, and it is very treatable. It's important to seek help if you're concerned about depression.

Where can I learn more?

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What's the difference between sadness and depression? | Here to Help

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Sadness is a normal reaction to a loss, disappointment, problems, or other difficult situations. Feeling sad from time to time is just another part of being human. In these cases, feelings of sadness go away quickly and you can go about your daily life.

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Overview

Sadness is a human emotion that all people feel at certain times during their lives. Feeling sad is a natural reaction to situations that cause emotional upset or pain. There are varying degrees of sadness. But like other emotions, sadness is temporary and fades with time. In this way, sadness differs from depression.

Depression is a longer-term mental illness. It impairs social, occupational, and other important areas of functioning. Left untreated, symptoms of depression may last for a long time.

Keep reading to learn more about the differences between depression and sadness.

When you're sad, it may feel all-encompassing at times. But you should also have moments when you are able to laugh or be comforted. Depression differs from sadness. The feelings you have will affect all aspects of your life. It may be hard or even impossible to find enjoyment in anything, including activities and people you used to enjoy. Depression is a mental illness, not an emotion.

Symptoms of depression may include:

constant feelings of sadness

irritability

fatigue

changes in sleeping or eating patterns

difficulty concentrating

loss of interest and enthusiasm for things which used to provide pleasure

feelings of deep, unwarranted guilt

physical symptoms, such as headaches or body aches that do not have a specific cause

feelings of worthlessness

constant thoughts about death

suicidal thoughts or actions

You may have some of these symptoms if you are sad, but they shouldn't last more than two weeks. Suicidal thoughts are a sign of depression, not sadness.

Guide to the DSM-5 criteria

Mental health professionals use the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5 criteria) to help determine if someone is sad or depressed. You may receive a diagnosis of depression or persistent depressive disorder if you meet the criteria.

The DSM-5 criteria include nine potential symptoms of depression. The severity of each symptom is also weighed as part of the diagnostic process. The nine symptoms are:

1. feeling depressed throughout each day on most or all days

2. lack of interest and enjoyment in activities you used to find pleasurable

3. trouble sleeping, or sleeping too much

4. trouble eating, or eating too much, coupled with weight gain or weight loss

5. irritability, restlessness, or agitation

6. extreme fatigue

7. unwarranted or exaggerated feelings of guilt or worthlessness

8. inability to concentrate or make decisions

9. suicidal thoughts or actions, or thinking a lot about death and dying

Read more: Signs of depression "
Depression can occur in both men and woman of any age. Depression affects people across all ethnic groups and socioeconomic backgrounds.

There are several risk factors for depression. But having one or more risk factors doesn't mean you'll become depressed. Risk factors include:

early childhood or teenage trauma

inability to cope with a devastating life event, such as the death of a child or spouse, or any situation that causes extreme levels of pain

low self-esteem

family history of mental illness, including bipolar disorder or depression

history of substance abuse, including drugs and alcohol

lack of family or community acceptance for identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT).

trouble adjusting to a medical condition, such as cancer, stroke, chronic pain, or heart disease

trouble adjusting to body changes due to catastrophic injury, such as loss of limbs, or paralysis

history of prior mental health disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or anxiety disorder

lack of a support system, such as friends, family, or coworkers

Depression is also a possible side effect of some medications. If you're concerned that a drug you're taking is affecting your mood, discuss it with your doctor. Some medications that might cause depression include:

beta-blockers

corticosteroids

hormonal medications

statins, which are drugs used to treat high cholesterol

Talk to your doctor if you experience sadness for longer than two weeks. And call emergency services to receive immediate medical help if you're having suicidal thoughts.

Note if your feelings interfere with your ability to function, take part in life, or experience enjoyment. Speaking to a professional, like a therapist, clergy member, or other trusted person, can be a powerful first step toward recovery.
Learn more: The best depression apps of 2016 "
Your doctor will use several diagnostic tools to help distinguish between sadness and depression. You doctor will ask you a series of questions or have you fill out a questionnaire based on the DSM-5 criteria. This will help them determine if you're experiencing sadness or depression.

They'll also want to talk to you about your symptoms. They'll ask how you're feeling and what your daily life is like.

Your doctor may also do a physical exam. This will determine any underlying health problem affecting your condition. That could include a blood test to determine if you have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism).

If you're experiencing sadness, some minor lifestyle changes may help.

Connect with other people. Make a phone call, take a yoga class, or join a jogging club, knitting circle, or another group that interests you.

Build in time each day for an activity you enjoy.

Watch funny television shows or movies, or read a lighthearted or funny book.

Engage in physical activities or sports.

If you love animals, spend time each day with a furry friend.

Do not self-medicate through the use of drugs or alcohol.

Treat yourself kindly by eating healthy and trying to get enough sleep.

If you have trouble sleeping, try meditating or taking a warm bath before bed.

Simplify your life as best you can.

Lifestyle changes can also help you feel better if you're experiencing depression. But these changes may not be enough. If you're depressed, psychological counseling with a professional you trust can make a difference. This type of counseling is also known as talk therapy.

If you're depressed or suicidal, you can receive inpatient care by staying in a hospital or other therapeutic setting.

Your physician or therapist may prescribe medications for you. There are many different types of antidepressants. You and your doctor will decide which ones you should try. These depend on your needs, family history, allergies, and lifestyle. You may need to try several before you find a treatment plan that works best for you. Sometimes, antidepressants may increase suicidal thoughts. It's important that you let your doctor know immediately if you experience worsening depression.
Learn more: Depression medications list "
If you're experiencing a period of sadness, lifestyle changes and being proactive may help. You may also seek out professional help if you feel it will help to talk. Or if you feel medication may help.

Depression is treatable. But simple lifestyle changes may not be enough to help your recover. You'll likely need to take part in therapy. You might also take medication to help treat your symptoms.

Allow yourself to get the help you need. If you feel that you can't take the next step, try to connect with someone who will take that step with you. For example, talk to a trusted family doctor. Or you could ask a friend or family member to go with you to your first appointment with a therapist. No matter how you're feeling today, you deserve, and can achieve, hope and healing.

Conquering both sadness and depression takes effort. Make sure to keep your appointments if you're seeing a therapist. And talk out everything that is on your mind. Here are some more tips to help you manage both sadness and depression:

Set your alarm clock and wake up at the same time each day. Maintaining a routine that includes self-care can help make life more manageable.

Include physical activity in your routine. It can boost mood and improve your health.

Don't isolate yourself. Spend some time each day with someone you like, either in person, or on the phone.

Resume activities that have given you joy in the past, or try new activities that interest you. Having something to look forward to can help boost your mood.

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Depression vs. Sadness: What's the Difference?

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Overview Sadness is a human emotion that all people feel at certain times during their lives. Feeling sad is a natural reaction to situations that cause emotional upset or pain. There are varying degrees of sadness. But like other emotions, sadness is temporary and fades with time.