Friday, August 15, 2014

What things do you do when you're tired of being sad?

Look: there are some very good reasons to feel sad. And I think Western culture unhealthily encourages people to push aside or squelch any emotions it considers negative or unproductive. But after a while of moping or grieving or crying along to sad songs on YouTube, eventually there comes a point where you just don't want to feel sad any more.

What do you do when you reach that point? What are your coping strategies for pushing sadness away for a while?

Some of the things that have worked for me:
  • Work on something creative that doesn't require deep thought (simple knitting, sewing basic patchwork, copy-editing Wikipedia entries)
  • Focus on someone else's problems for a change (volunteering at the food bank, donating needed items to local charities)
  • Exercise
  • Bake cookies (and, in my case, give them away before I'm tempted to eat them)
  • Sleep. A lot.
I could use a few more items on this list, and others probably could too. Please share.

7 comments:

Fenchurch said...

Most of the things you mentioned except sleeping a lot. For me that's a symptom of depression rather than a cure. Of course, at the new house, the other thing I'll do is just look out the front window for awhile.

Soozcat said...

For me that's a symptom of depression rather than a cure.

Granted, but it does provide temporary respite from annoying sad feelings.

Fatherly Uncle Jim said...

Laughter helps me.

With a caveat: content matters. A lot of humor taps into negative emotions, and that can deepen the sadness - in the moment or after.

Also, things that challenge the brain, in a familiar way, associated with positive things. Housecleaning the hard drive, perhaps focusing on music tags or funny pictures folders, or family photos. SuDoku. Breaking out the Latin phrasebook or a poem by Ogden Nash.

Chrys Houghton said...

I normally read Harry Potter or practice drawing Harry Potter characters in Japanese Anime style and Danny Phantom style, but if I'm throwing my books at the wall (which is actually NOT my normal behavior in any way--Never once in my life have I ever thrown a book directly at a wall)

But if I'm too sad for that, I have a tenancy to watch Danny Phantom or Star Wars, or just write. Or sometimes I try to go on Facebook and try to chat with friends so I can vent! Yeah. I also do some interesting things when I am feeling overpowering teenage emotional mood swings. That may be the reason behind why I am a social outcast in the community...

Soozcat said...

Laughter usually does help. For the nonce, though, I'm avoiding one of my favorite comedians.

Brain challenges... good idea.

MarieC said...

Ha! I love that you copy-edit Wikipedia entries. I will have to try that! I liked sitting outside on my front patio on sunny summer days. I called it my Happy Place. It need not be a sunny patio, but find a place to sit and enjoy and breathe in the beauty around you.

Soozcat said...

Well, I copy-edit Wikipedia entries because I'm a huge spelling nerd, and it makes me feel better to see errors fixed.

You and Fen both seem to have Happy Places. That's a good idea.