You might call it gloominess or being down in the dumps. While you could briefly feel a little down for no clear reason, you can often trace the sadness that comes with a blue mood to specific circumstances.
Feeling blue can alert you to the fact that something isn’t quite right in your life, which can help you take steps to identify the cause of the low mood and make some changes that could help you feel better.
If you can’t immediately identify the cause, it might help to take a closer look at any recent changes or problems in your life can contribute to blue moods.
Sadness usually has a cause
Despite their name, the blues typically don’t just appear out of the blue. They’re often the result of something more specific, like:
a missed opportunity
the loss of a friend, pet, or loved one
a breakup
frustration with your life
betrayal
Even if it takes some time to realize exactly why you feel sad, you’ll usually be able to identify the trigger. Once you figure out what caused your sadness, you can usually take action to start working through it. When it comes to depression, however, you often can’t trace it back to a specific cause. You might feel sad, frustrated, or hopeless yet have no idea why. Your life might even seem like it’s going pretty darn well, which can lead to confusion over why you feel so miserable.
Could it be depression?
While it’s important to recognize sadness as a natural emotional state, it’s also essential to realize when a low mood might stem from something else, like depression. You may brush off symptoms of depression as sadness or a temporary funk, but not addressing serious mood changes won’t do you any favors in the long run.
Depression generally lingers
Sadness passes in time as you begin to heal from your loss, disappointment, or other emotional distress. Depression, on the other hand, often doesn’t quit. You might have brighter moments where your mood temporarily improves, but you’ll probably feel down more often than not.
Sadness often lifts when you do something enjoyable
When you feel sad, you can often lighten your mood by:
watching something funny
spending time with loved ones
doing a favorite hobby
But with depression, you might try all the above activities — and more —and still not see any improvement. Depression can also make it tough to find the energy to do anything at all. You may also notice less interest in the things you used to enjoy.
Depression can lead to suicidal thoughts
Not everyone who experiences depression will have suicidal thoughts, but they aren’t uncommon in folks with depression. If you feel blank or numb, you might also have thoughts of hurting yourself in order to feel something, even if you don’t actually have any desire to die.
With sadness, you might feel a little bleak for a few days, but most people don’t experience thoughts of suicide or self-harm.
Coping tips
Simply sharing your sadness with someone you trust can often help ease distress. Friends and loved ones, especially those also affected by the same circumstances, can validate your pain and share their own.
Talking about sad feelings can help, but if you struggle to find the right words, expressing your emotions in other ways can also have benefits.
Try:
journaling
writing poetry
creating art that reflects your mood
using music to share your feelings, whether you create your own or listen to songs that really capture what you’re feeling
If you’re feeling a bit blue, these tips can help you cope in a healthy, productive way. If you suspect you might be dealing with depression, these tips might not be very effective and you should consider contacting a professional. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255
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Singing bowls are bowls used to promote relaxation. They produce sounds and vibrations when hit or circled with a mallet. Those sounds and vibrations are supposed to help you relax.