Sadness, especially chronic sadness can be soul-crushing and totally overwhelming. It can crush your hopes and dreams as you focus on the things that make you feel sad. But there are options and ways to beat sadness or at the very least give you a reprieve from it.
These are different ways to beat sadness.
Cry
There are some studies that suggest that crying may have a very relaxing effect on the body by releasing the body’s chemical hormones called endorphin which is a natural “feel-good” chemical in your body. Crying may also activate your parasympathetic nervous system This helps your body recover from stress and trauma.
There are several studies that suggest that crying is a useful coping mechanism because it communicates your pain to other people. It may also encourage others to show you some support and encouragement that you may need at that moment.
There is another study that suggests that whether you feel better after crying is linked to how your own culture views crying. If your culture or even your family views crying as something shameful or wrong then, you may not feel better after crying, you may feel worse. So crying may not always be the best thing but crying in secret is always an option, albeit maybe a more sad one. It may be sad but the endorphins will make you feel better.
Don’t force or make yourself cry if you don’t really feel like it. While the most popular wisdom holds that you’re not crying after a sadness-provoking incident is unhealthy, this is not always the case. Crying because you feel obligated or forced to may actually keep you from recovering quicker or more fully.
Crying may remove toxins from the body and it is a very popular idea in the media. This may actually be true, although the amount of toxins eliminated by crying is a lot. Most tears are reabsorbed in your nasal cavity. But some may help.
There are several studies that have shown that exercise releases endorphin’s which are the “feel-good” hormones in the body and also other chemicals that can help fight sadness. One study showed that people who did moderate exercise over a 10-week period felt more energetic, positive, and calm than those who did not. In addition, the benefits of exercise were greater for people experiencing a depressed or overly sad mood.
Exercise can also give you the time to focus on a specific goal. This can distract you and help you not to focus on just your sadness.
You do not have to run a long marathon or be at the gym every day to see the great benefits of exercise. Even light exercises such as sewing, walking or gardening can show a positive effect on sadness.
Exercising with someone else can help relieve sadness. You are focusing on yourself and also someone else. It will give you someone to talk to and who will encourage you to keep going.
There are several studies have shown that even smiling, even when you are sad, lonely and depressed, can really help you feel better. “Duchenne smiles”, or smiles that use your eye muscles as well as those near your mouth will have the strongest positive effect on your mood and your sadness. So if you are feeling sad just even try to smile. Even if you don’t feel like it at first and feel it would not work, it actually may help you feel more positive. So not try something simple and easy as that
There is research that has actually proven and shown that the opposite is very true. When you frown when you are sad and unhappy you are more likely to feel MORE unhappy and sad than those who did not frown.
Smiling encourages people around you to interact with you. More interaction with other people can decrease sadness. You are focusing on the interaction with others and it will give you something else to think about besides the sadness you are feeling.
On the other hand, frowning discourages people around you from interacting with you. It will isolate you more and the loneliness will give you another reason to be sad and unhappy. Feeling no one is there for you or no one cares can definitely bring on more sadness. Loneliness is a big contributor to sadness and depression. Smiling will draw more people to you and that will fight sadness and loneliness.
Listening to music can help soothe, calm, energize and relax you. The reason why you choose to listen to music is as important as what you listen to. Try listening to “beautiful but sad” classical music that you enjoy and it may help you work through your own sadness.
It is not ideal to listen to music that will make you think about past sad experiences. There is research that has shown that it will make your sadness much worse. If you choose music that you find really beautiful will help relieve sadness and stress.
Listen to encouraging and upbeat music can help. Choose songs where people overcome an obstacle or who give advice, ideas, and encouragement on a particular situation. Listen to those who overcome adversity and come out of it great and better for it.
There are playlists on youtube and other media outlets that focus on a particular subject. You can have a ready-made list of songs suited for you, your sadness and your situation.
Listen to funky and funny music songs. Music can bring happiness, hope, and laughter. This will surely drive away any feeling of sadness. It is a great distraction tool for you to use!
Shower or Bathe In Hot or Warm Water
Research has shown that using physical warmth has a comforting effect on the body and the mind. Taking a warm bath or a hot shower will help you unwind and relax. This can help you you soothe your feelings of sadness.
Heat relaxes the muscles and brings relief to tense and tired muscles that are a result of stress, anxiety, and sadness. You tense up your muscles under stress, anxiety, and sadness and this can cause you pain and discomfort and that will lead to more sadness and discouragement. Relaxing your body can relax your mind and your emotions.
Relaxing in hot water relaxes the mind and can lead you to think of good and happy things while soaking in the tube. Daydreaming of helpful and uplifting things can give you a break from your sadness. It may come back when you get out but at least it will give you a reprieve from the sadness temporarily.
Try these ways to beat sadness and get on the road to happiness and positive thinking. You don’t have to stay sad, you can overcome it!