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Have you ever gotten into a sad, dark mood that you just couldn’t seem to shake?
We all go through periods where we feel sad and lonely, and try as we might, we just can’t seem to stop feeling sad.
Maybe you just haven’t gotten over your ex and a breakup. Maybe you’re coping with a loss that has left you feeling painfully empty and lonely. Or maybe you’re just stuck in a rut that for whatever reason, you just can’t seem to climb out of.
The good news? Sadness is just a feeling, and feelings can leave your life just as quickly as they come. With a few easy steps, you can overcome your sadness and get back into a happier, more positive groove.
Ready to shake the sadness and loneliness? Here are 12 ways to finally move forward.
12 Quick Ways to Shake the Sadness and Loneliness
1. Listen to your happy playlist. Can’t shake the sadness today? Snap out of your sad mood by blasting your favorite jams. The effects of listening to music are far reaching. By just listening to an upbeat song, studies have found that you’re more likely to reflect on positive memories than negative ones, while other studies have found that listening to positive songs both improves your mood and boosts your happiness.
2. Drink your favorite coffee. There’s more to coffee than just the caffeine boost we typically associate with it. Drinking coffee has been shown to stimulate the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which induces euphoria and positive, happy feelings. So the next time you’re feeling down and in the dumps, sip your favorite coffee to lift your mood.
3. Get some rays. Sunlight can profoundly affect your mental health and overall well-being. Not only does the sun optimize your vitamin D production, but it also stimulates the release of endorphins: the feel-good chemicals in our brains. Additionally, it gives you a boost of energy if you’re feeling slow and tired.
4. Transfer all your sad thoughts from mind to paper. Often when we’re feeling sad and lonely, we become prisoners of our own minds and feel trapped in a cycle of negative thoughts and memories. Ease your worries by transferring your sad thoughts from your mind to paper. By writing down what you feel, you’ll feel more in control of your emotions, and you’ll also gain a healthier, big-picture perspective on your life.
5. Go on a walk. When you can get outside for a walk, not only will you benefit from the additional sunlight, but you’ll also be taking care of both your mind and body. You’ll reduce the stress and sadness you feel, release those happy endorphins, fuel your creativity, and give yourself an energy boost.
6. Get with your squad. Still feeling lonely? Fight your loneliness by meeting up with your friends. Hanging out with your friends has been proven to have a significant impact on your happiness and health. When you hang out with your squad, you increase your sense of belong and purpose, you enhance your feelings of self-confidence and self-worth, and you get an extra boost of happiness. Not bad, huh?
7. Cut off your negative self-talk. Our minds are constantly chattering away all hours of the day, significantly affecting our moods and outlook. Check your self-talk, and replace your negative thoughts with positive ones instead.
8. Declutter your surroundings. When our minds are already overwhelmed with sadness and depressed thoughts, it’s easy to feel trapped and even more bogged down with negativity if our space reflects the clutter in our minds. In fact, clutter has been found to be harmful to both physical and mental health. When we see clutter, we often feel like we’re suffocating from the sheer volume of stuff that is consuming our lives. Declutter your surroundings and remove the excess from your environment. You’ll find that you not only feel more in control of your life and surroundings, but also that your mind will feel less cluttered and more focused.
9. Plan your next trip. Just the simple act of planning out your next trip can instantly boost your mood. When you have something exciting and positive planned, you have something in the future to look forward to, which keeps you from looking back on the negative.
10. Practice self-care. Take care of yourself and spoil yourself in a way that makes you feel well looked after. Get a manicure, try a new fitness class, go on a bike ride, or indulge yourself with a yummy treat.
11. Reflect on your best memories. We often become caught up in a moment of sadness when we think of how someone or something has wronged and/or hurt us. Our minds replay these painful memories again and again, making it harder and harder to move forward and think positively. When you find your mind replaying these difficult memories, look to other better memories instead. Look through your phone or your photo library online to trigger happier, more positive memories like when you graduated, or when you took a trip abroad, or when you and your friends celebrated your birthday. Replace the negative memories and thoughts with happier ones.
12. Volunteer your time. Doing a good deed for someone else doesn’t just help them out, it also brings a number of internal rewards for you, too. Volunteering has been proven to improve your mental health, encourage emotional stability, and even enhance your self-esteem. Make volunteering a habit in your life to keep the sadness away long-term. Volunteer at a homeless shelter, at a dog rescue center, or even donate blood. When you put good vibes out into the world, you can bet they’ll come back to you and make your life richer.
