Feeling Sad or Disappointed? 12 Ways To Pick Yourself Back Up!
It is very normal to feel sad or disappointed from time to time. It’s all part of the human existence. The changes and rigors of day to day activity is bound to overwhelm us and bring us down. Various factors can cause us to feel sad – not reaching your set goals, a break up, loss of a loved one, even something as little as a spilled cup of milk can stir up emotions. Since this is constant in our lives, what then are the ways you can pick yourself back up?
First not that feeling sad or disappointed can lead to depression. Depression leads a lot to procrastination. Procrastination leads to us postponing the important tasks we should be participating hence a reduction in productivity. This process continues to occur in a cycle, and you begin to feel like you can never be happy.
Here are some the steps that have worked in helping me break this cycle and can also help you pick yourself back up:
1. Get active and get out of your house
This is usually the first thing I do when I start feeling sad. Staying at home, just lying around doing nothing most of the time leaves me feeling depressed. My mind start to wander of the various possibilities – things I could have to have prevented myself from getting into the position I find myself and I end up getting more depressed. Staying at home can dampen your mood, you won’t realize how much fresh air and sunlight would have on your mood until you step out.
2. Exercise
Who wants to exercise when they are feeling sad or disappointed? You might not be in the mood to exercise, but doing it can help you pick yourself back up. It doesn’t have to be something serious. You can go for a run or jog in the park, go to gym and run on a treadmill – the most important thing is that you are going out and doing something now. You don’t need to engage in heavy exercise – just the simple act of moving your muscles and getting active can help uplift your mood.
3. Create a list
One of the causes of depression most of the time is that we get overwhelmed by the situation around us. Everything just seems too much for us to handle and we just break. You might be a fan of GTD, but sometimes the system might not seem to be working, maybe because you are not using a system suited for you or you just don’t have the energy to do it. All these extra stuff you are supposed to be doing but not doing can be pretty overwhelming.
Don’t think too much about it, just pick a pen and a paper, and make a list of all the important things that you need to do. The tasks could be anything – it can be things related to work, errands you to need to run for the homes, your goals that you want to reach, or even a combination of all these things. Making a list would help you put things into perspective. You know what you want to do and the exact time you need to be doing. The simple act of making a list can be a relief and get you closer in your bid to pick yourself back up.
4. Take action
You just don’t stop at making a list. You need to take action! Making a list won’t stop you from feeling overwhelmed. On the contrary, if you make a list and do not work towards fulfilling the task on said list, your depression might graduate into becoming chronic. After writing your list, get started immediately. Is your first task a big one? Break it down into smaller pieces and start working on them. The first huddle is taking the first step. When you can cross the part, you would start to feel happier about yourself.
I am not saying that your sadness or depression would be cured immediately. Remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day. Everything takes time. What I am sure is that once you’ve started to get busy, you would start getting to your normal old self one task at a time.
What is the point in sitting back feeling sorry for yourself when you get active and do something about it?
5. Take care of your body
I have watched a lot of romantic movies to know that after a sad event such as a breakup, the next thing to do would be to lie in your underwear all day, lick ice cream, cry and just be a dirty p**. While that might sound nice, laying all day in your bed all day won’t do you any good. Avoiding your problems would not get them solved.
On the contrary, having a nice cool shower and grooming yourself does wonders in lifting up your mood. Instead of moping all day, brush your teeth, shave your beards, comb your hair, wear nice clean clothes and do the number 1 activity on this list – get the hell out of your house!
6. Listen to lively music
Music can do wonders for a sad soul. It can either uplift or depress you, depending on what you are looking. Since you are reading this article on how to pick yourself back up, the former is the case. Personally I love listening to pop or rap music. Find those songs that make you happy, crank it to the loudest volume, sing at the top of your voice, dance wildly – I am sure that do this would be improve your mood tremendously.
7. Find someone to talk to
Ever heard the saying, “A problem shared is a problem half solved”. Well, this saying is very true. Find some to talk to. It could be anybody – a family member, a significant other or a good friend. A support group works fine also. You are probably not the first person going through your situation, finding someone to talk to can be very helpful.
In the instance where there is nobody you can talk to, you can make use of hotlines or the services of a professional. You can also join online forums. There is never a shortage of places where you can share your feelings. To pick yourself back up, you need to get rid of negative feelings. A hug from another individual can go a long way to making you feel happy.
Another beneficial reason to talking to another person that you get to see the problem from another person’s point of view. You get to see something that you have been missing and get advice that could go a long way in helping you get yourself.
8. Read books
I have found that reading books can be a good way to distract you from your present situation. Some books also serves as a means of motivation or inspiration on how to solve your problems. Two books I enjoy reading when I start feeling down is “The 4-Hour WorkWeek” by Timothy Ferris and “The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck – a counterintuitive approach to living a good life” by Mark Manson. Reading these two books, always go a long way to help me feel good about myself. Any book that would help you feel better is worth a read.
9. There is no crime in crying… a little
Laughter is the best medicine, I know. Crying can also be a good medicine when done in moderation. Somebody just asked now, isn’t this article on how to pick yourself back up? You are right it is. You can get through a tough situation if you don’t let yourself feel the emotions – frustration, anger, sadness, crying – that comes with it. If you don’t let out that emotions, you might end up having a mental break down.
I know that crying wouldn’t solve your problem, but letting go a little would take you a step further to getting better. Trying not to cry in fact is counter-productive. It’s okay to cry, not just too much. You don’t want to spend your whole day crying and not get anything done. What I am advising here is that you let go a little bit so you can get yourself back.
10. Eat Healthy
Like the romantic movie I mentioned earlier, guess what people eat when they are sad? A whole lot of unhealthy junk food. I have never seen anyone eating vegetables while crying in their week old underwear.
When you do the opposite of eating unhealthy, your body would be eternally grateful. Grabbing healthy food or snacks – like vegetables, fruits, nuts would make you feel better. Not only would you feel better, you also provide with the nutrients it needs to function. Guess who is winning in both situations now? You!
11. Get a pet
Having a pet can be highly therapeutic. Animals are very intuitive and can sense when you are feeling sad or depressed and try what they can to uplift your mood. Even if you don’t have your own pet, you can try spending time with a friends pet or visit an animal shelter or zoo. Watching the animals can help you feel better.
12. Do something exciting
You might be feeling sad or depressed, but one of the ways I have found out that you can use to pick yourself back up is by doing something exciting or spontaneous. Engaging in an exciting activity can help free you from negative thoughts. A good example of a spontaneous activity is going on a road trip, riding a bicycle to work, volunteering for community service and a lots more. The point is that you just add some excitement to your life.
