5 Ways to Cope with Sadness and Anxiety

It’s been nice to have all the time in the world to be at home with nowhere to frantically run off to every day, which really has been a long-overdue change of pace and such good medicine for the mind and soul to get this much-needed time to unplug. However, like everything else in life, too much of a good thing can also be a bad thing, especially living within the new confines of this ongoing pandemic circumstance we have found ourselves under. It’s only natural for such a prolonged dismal situation with no end in sight to take a toll on one’s emotional state, to say the least. Gratefully, we’ve always worked from home, so nothing changed there, but without our usual outings to our favorite restaurants and shows for date nights along with our annual summer season travels to new lands and better scenery, has made it challenging. Talk about disappointed hopes! I know we are not the only ones affected as there are many who looked forward to special moments that have now been ruined as well. It’s safe to say that this extra added stress with COVID-19 and all that it entails which sideswiped us so quickly – rendering life to come to a screeching halt in a matter of weeks, surely, can make you feel down in the dumps.

Let’s face it, most of us do a good job of hiding our sadness from others. How many of us instantly react when someone else falls apart – helping them fix their problems to make them feel better, but then, we go home and fall apart ourselves? Raise your hand if you’re one of these types of people. Um, me!!🙋🏽‍ However, let me be the one to assure you, my friend, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you. The fact is, everyone gets sad now and then. And even more so during these uncertain times. How can we not, living in such a messed up world? And the strangest thing is, it’s one of those emotions that can come on at any time, even for the most optimistic person. It’s weird, but it happens! It just proves that we’re human. It’s when we stop crying, we should start to worry.😐

What can you do when you’re gripped by a plague of sadness? Since I’ve had my fair share of bad days too, I wanted to offer some ways that have helped get me out of a funk and deal with anxiety. These five simple things are what help me with momentary sadness.

1. A List of Happy Positive Quotes

I’m a big believer in great quotable extract for they’re such morsels that can really change your perspective and give you good thoughts. For instance, something like this, “It isn’t what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about.” Over the years, I’ve collected/kept a good number of inspirational/thought-provoking quotes that speak to me and placed them in individual folders according to topics: “happiness”, “good reminders”, “affirmations”, “encouragement”, “friendship”, “love”. These are folders I refer to often when the need arises.

2. Pause Production

Disconnect and put the focus back on you and what’s truly important. Everything usually works again when you power it off and reboot it. Realize that trying to be productive all the time is frankly futile. As a creative person who loves to create and produce all the time, I’ve come to understand that there are times I have to say, ‘I’m not going to produce right now.’ And take a break. Maybe for a couple of hours, a day, a week, or however long necessary. Taking care of one’s mental health – getting that rest is crucial for our physical well-being. Bringing me to another favorite saying, “don’t get so busy driving that you forget to stop for gas.”

3 Practice Solitude

As an extrovert, I get energized by being around people. I should say, the ‘right kind of people’. I love great conversation, entertaining constantly, or a bustling city life. It wasn’t until I moved away several years ago from the life (aka a life filled with friends to do things with) I’ve known for so long that I slowly began to appreciate moments of solitude. Even though I still love the same things, this time away from it all made me realize when you’re always busy and surrounded by people and noise, it drowns out your own opinions and inner monologue. Taking time alone to practice solitude – letting your mind be free from outside stress, is like living life in slow motion. It’s a mindfulness exercise that helps you to silence your mind, reflect, and increase awareness as to what you’re doing in the present moment. And boy, given the times right now, it is so important to appreciate the sacredness of the present moment since life is extremely unpredictable.

4. Write About It

Writing things down is a practice I developed since childhood to cope during trying times. When sadness clouds your outlook on life, expressing that sadness on paper can be so cathartic. I always find writing helps me to, first of all, sort out and organize the mental clutter. When I sort out those feelings accumulated by sadness, the sadness feels less overwhelming afterward. The majority of times, it also helps to put things into perspective.

5. Cheer Someone Else Up

I find writing encouragement cards or sending a small care-package to a friend who’s down never fails to make me feel better. It’s a simple kind, yet powerful act that takes the attention off of ourselves. Now that people are spending wayyyy more time in the kitchen, think how wonderful it would be if you live close to your friends – making an extra jar of homemade pasta sauce and drop it off at their door in a basket with the necessary ingredients for a weeknight meal or anything else that you know they would enjoy. Think about how much that would make their day! And yours!

Caveat: If despite your efforts, feelings of sadness just won’t go away, please seek professional help.

Cheer up! Things will get better.