Persistent sadness can be something that feels never ending… it can feel like it’s the only emotion you are able to feel. 

This is not the case though. Every single person is able to feel an abundance of emotions, you just have to be able to find them again. Or, find the best ways to cope with persistent sadness. 

Start out by addressing the problem. The saying “the first step to addressing any issue is admitting that you have a problem” is much more true than you realize. 

Once that first step is taken, you can move to the healing process and grow to finding your other emotions like joy, fear and even anger. 

Taking care of yourself

Your number one priority is to take care of yourself. This can consist of a few basic things. 

• Sleep: getting enough sleep each night is more important that you may realize. On average, humans should get about eight hours of sleep each night. This helps with brain function, emotional regulation and just overall well-being. Therefore already helping with how you may feel each day.
• Food: When someone is feeling sad a good chunk of the time, their diet may change. This could be either overeating or not eating nearly enough. Each person is different. Making a conscious effort to eat the proper amount each day is imperative to helping with proper brain and body function. 
• Exercise: Now, exercise doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to overdo your workouts and move until you drop. This just means you should be getting a daily dose of movement each day. This could mean you go on a walk, or do some sort of yoga. This could also mean that you workout harder and do lifting or running or something a bit more intense. Again, each person is different. 

If you are able to begin with these three steps on taking care of yourself, you are on a good path to finding a path away from persistent sadness. 

Limit substance abuse

Substances like alcohol or drugs can be a big factor as to not being able to cope with persistent sadness. 

Many times, people who are sad all the time will turn to these substances because it “makes them feel something.” or “Makes them not feel anything”. 

Either way, a key step to coping with sadness is to stop all substances. Or at least but a cap, or limit, on it. 

Change up your routine

Sadness can stem from many things. One of which is doing the exact same thing every single day. This can be good for some people because it is structured and a routine, but for others, it can cause depression and other lower level emotions. 

If you feel stuck or upset with your routine, maybe find a way to change it up. 

For example:

You wake up, workout and then eat breakfast. Then you move to an office space at home to work from home. Then your kids come home from school so you make dinner and then watch a movie and then it’s bed time. 

Instead try this: 

Wake up and eat breakfast and send the kids off. Then instead of working out, maybe go right to work. But instead of working in your office, find a new place to work. This could be somewhere new in your house or if you’re able, go to a coffee shop or somewhere new outside of the house. 

Once it’s time for the kids to come home, you can make them dinner and then instead of a movie, maybe you play a family game. Once the kids go to bed, then it’s time to workout. 

A good change in routine can be healthy for the body and the mind. 

The change doesn’t need to be as drastic as this example may seem. But just a little change can be a good start. 

Stay connected with people 

Scientifically, humans are always seeking connections with others. It is healthy and normal to not really want to be alone. 

So if you are finding that you have persistent sadness, find some connections with new people, or nurture those connections you already have made in life. 

This could be with family, friends, cousins, co-workers, etc. Go to lunch with them, go to the gym or maybe even go on a trip with them.
Other less intense connections could be just to text them or call them. Those simple connections can make you feel less alone and like there are more people in the world than just yourself. 

Persistent sadness can be hard to deal with, but if you are able to find purpose in your day-to-day life as well as set some goals for yourself, those lower level emotions can be pushed and shoved away. Find the joy in the little things in life, whether that be a pair of fuzzy socks you love, or even just giving a hug to someone you care about. The small things matter just as much as the big things do.