Editorials

What To Do When You’re Sad

15 September 2019

By Lauren E. White

what-to-do-when-youre-sad

We all have those nights when you go to bed and things just don’t seem right inside. It doesn’t matter what song you put on, none of them are right. It doesn’t matter who you think about texting – nobody is the right person to listen. So you’re at a loss. Do you really know what to do when you’re sad? I doubt it, seeing as nobody ever truly does.

However, we can all share our own little tips and tricks to help each other move through sadness a little easier. Whether you’re sad just for a short while, or a little longer, here are our tips on what to do when you’re sad.

1. Feel the sadness first

what-to-do-when-youre-sad-feel-it

The worst thing you can do when you’re sad is to push it away too quickly. That way, you’re never going to be genuinely happy.

Sadness always demands to be felt, so don’t ignore it and hope it’ll just go away. Feel the sadness, ask yourself why it’s there and then have a think about everything that’s going on.

Feelings are important – so feel them.

2. Write it down

what-to-do-when-youre-sad-write-it-down

Whether you write a letter to the person you’re sad about, or write a diary entry to yourself, just writing things down can make you feel so much better.

Writing helps you process your thoughts and register them as genuine. You formulate them into genuine sentences and transfer your feelings – which can seem so overwhelming – into words on a page.

Also, writing your sadness down is great to move it all from your head. By spilling your feelings out onto a page (even if you can’t make sense of your feelings, just saying you can’t make sense of them helps), you can do wonders for your sadness.

3. Talk to your most trusted friend

what-to-do-when-youre-sad-trust

There is nobody like your most trusted friend. They are always there to listen, which is why you’re friends with them in the first place.

Explaining why you’re sad to someone when you’re feeling it the most is one of the most effective ways to rationalise your feelings. Your most trusted friend can give you some good, solid advice on the situation and perspective you otherwise would not have had.

Trusted friends are like gold dust in situations like these.

If you’re struggling with things at the moment and you feel like there isn’t anyone to listen, you’re not alone.

Get in touch with some of the people below for a confidential and helpful chat about your feelings:

— ChildLine (under 18s): 0800 1111

— Samaritans: 116 123

Like this article? Please share!

  •
    Books Best Book Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians
    This Percy Jackon and the Olympians series came about when the author Rick Riordan’s son requested yet another bedtime story based on the Ancient Greek myths. This collection of books has been a huge hit with everyone from primary school upwards. The stories follow the life of Percy Jackson, a demi-god and son of Poseidon. […]
    Read Full Article
  • Editorials Mastering Politics: The Power of the Prime Minister
    Understanding politics isn’t easy – let alone trying to understand the role of the most important person in Britain: the Prime Minister. This week’s Mastering Politics is all about the power of the prime minister and how much of it they really have. What is the role of the prime minister? The prime minister’s (PM) […]
    Read Full Article
  • health Mindfulness
    Mindfulness is a useful technique that can help with your mental health. It can assist with stress; meditation mainly focuses on distracting your mind and paying more attention to your breath, or noises for instance.  It also can reduce heightened anxiety for similar reasons. Mindfulness-based therapy helps you let go of worries. Surprisingly, the technique […]
    Read Full Article
  • Editorials Dealing with Wanting to Drop Out
    University can be one of the most challenging times in an individual’s life. Suddenly, you’re all away from home and the friends and family you love with a bunch of people who are so utterly different from you. You might not like your course, your ‘friends’ or the city you’re in. And suddenly you find […]
    Read Full Article
  • News What is hoarding disorder?
    Definition and symptoms  According to the NHS: ‘A hoarding disorder is where someone acquires an excessive number of items and stores them in a chaotic manner, usually resulting in unmanageable amounts of clutter. The items can be of little or no monetary value.’ The NHS website also provides a list of symptoms of hoarding disorder:  […]
    Read Full Article
  • Lifestyle Three tips for a tidy room 
    Following the lifting of lockdown restrictions, charity shops have been overwhelmed with donations flooding in. Households had plenty of time to have a thorough sort out of their old or unwanted possessions. January is also a good time to consider having a proper tidy up of your room. Christmas time can often be a bit […]
    Read Full Article