5 Things You Can Do To Stop Being Sad Right Now

It’s five A.M as I began writing this post on how to stop being sad, and there is a tad of mushiness in my heart while I wait for the sun to come up.

I had some overwhelming thoughts bombard me yesterday that resulted in a mental downward spiral.

It took me by surprise because I’ve been in a pretty good space these last few months.

But that’s the thing about sadness. It doesn’t discriminate (err, are we supposed to clap?), and it also has the uncanny ability to hide all your ABCs on mental wellness.

Good thing I now have enough practice to look past this fog and help myself out of my low moods.

Channeling my inner wellness guru, I concocted a 5-step formula to help myself out of this dingy mental space.

And I am proud to announce that it did wonders for my spirit.

Before reading on, you might want to pin this post to save for later. 🙂

In this post, I reveal what I now consider my go-to method to stop being sad.

Use these tips whenever you’re stuck feeling low and need some gentle reminders to pull yourself out.

How To Stop Being Sad Immediately

1. Hit Pause And Retreat

First and foremost, the moment you feel your mood deteriorating, be wise enough to take a break.

There’s no need to pretend everything is normal when you feel anything but.

Your low moments could be a symptom of mental overload, which isn’t something to make light of.

Check Out: 11 Important Signs Of Mental Exhaustion

Pull your attention away from work or whatever’s got you troubled, and retreat (both internally as well externally.)

Find a spot where you can relax your body. Make sure you aren’t exposed to any noise; it’s the last thing you need when you’re looking to stop being sad.

I usually sit on my bed with my back against the wall. Being in a familiar environment can be comforting.

Give yourself permission to slow down. Don’t worry about missing an important deadline or showing up to that party you’d promised to be at. All of that can wait.

To put it in plain words, switching priorities is your top priority here.

You don’t have to fake it till you make it. Because honestly, authenticity is the new trend ruling the town, and your brain acknowledges this.

2. Spend Time With Your Emotions

After isolating yourself from your stress-triggering factors, you’d now be in direct contact with your sad thoughts. The urge to distract yourself at this point can be overpowering.

Sitting alone in my room, I thought about doing the same through a book or a show I love.

But for several reasons, this mechanism might be doomed to fail in the long term.

Suppressing your emotions is perhaps the unhealthiest way to deal with a low mood; I’m not sure if we can even call it ‘dealing’.

It’s like covering your eyes when you’re lost in a forest, even though the safest course of action is to assess your surroundings and find a way out.

Highly Recommended: 12 Ways To Master Emotional Self-Care

Don’t be intimidated by sadness. It’s a part of you asking for help and comfort, so spend time with this version of yourself. Ask it what it needs, what’s making it sad, and how you can be of help.

A journal might be handy for this. Crying helps too, and is in no sense a sign of meekness (felt the need to emphasize this because I’ve felt this way in the past.)

Take your time to collect your thoughts, and when you’re comfortable enough, move on to the third step.

3. Reach Out To A Friend

If you believe you are a tough cookie who can handle every curveball life throws your way, more power to you!

I am sure you are more than capable of handling a labyrinth of problems.

At the same time though, I hope you realize the importance of turning to a friend in times of need.

I mean, your friends probably call you with their own problems, right? And if you do the same, it’d be the most natural and ordinary thing in the world.

Recommended: How To Be Kind To Yourself (15 Simple Ways)

There is a reason why you have a social support system, and its functions extend way beyond parties and Sunday dinners.

This system might comprise your parents, siblings, college friends, or even a single person who you see as your rock support.

Whenever I’m going through an emotional crisis, I go to my best friend and vent the heck out. And (spoiler alert) it makes a ton of difference.

This step of the process is all about voicing your inner turmoil to make yourself feel heard and looked after.

So, after a quiet time with your emotions, call your safe person and just talk.

4. Divert Your Energy

You are in your retreat spot, you’ve spent time with your emotions and reached out to a friend for comfort.

So far, all your attempts have been directed toward dealing with your mood head-on.

But now, it’s time to take a step back and divert your attention to lighter things. This could mean indulging in a hobby, taking a short walk, doing some light exercise, or meditating.

All of this might not sound too appealing to your tired brain. You might lack the motivation to do anything but just…well, be sad.

But this is something you need to push against. Spending any more time in your grey zone will only put you down further.

You Might Like: 35 Little Things In Life That Can Make You Happy

Just to be clear, we are not running from our headspace, just trying to change its tone by indulging in another activity.

I call this a healthy diversion of your energies, a step that comes in after enough attention has been given to your sad thoughts.

For me, stories in any form work like magic to snap me out of sadness.

So, for this step of the process, I either reach for my bookshelf or start watching an anime that I’ve been meaning to try.

Immersing yourself in a new fandom is a brilliant trick to channel your thoughts in a new direction.

If you like the sound of that, feel free to use this idea when you’re looking to stop being sad.

5. Self-Care To The Rescue

In the popular sitcom How I Met Your Mother, Barney Stinson confidently declares, “When I’m sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead.”

Sounds charismatic, but doesn’t sound all that attainable in the real world.

But as the last step of this guide on ‘how to stop being sad,’ I think I would like to feel awesome.

The above 4 steps, if done right, should bring you to a calmer state of mind.

The only thing left to do now is to recharge your whole self so that you can put your restless thoughts to bed.

And the best closing act in this play would be self-care, a light and fluffy process that is as wholesome as its name.

An Easy-To-Follow Guide: 7 Types Of Self-Care (And How To Practice Them For A Better Life)

Here’s a self-care routine you can use to gain closure from your exhausting day:

• Hit play on the music of your choice to mark the beginning of your healing ritual.
• Run a hot bath or take a warm shower to cleanse your body of any bad vibes it might be carrying.
• Pamper your skin with your favorite products.
• Write down self-love affirmations in your journal and upon yourself to the power of you.
• Take a nap with all your worries chucked out the window. After all that work you put into your well-being, you deserve a good rest.

Recommended: 51 Solo Date Ideas To Make You Love Yourself

Stop Being Sad Over Things You Can’t Control

I know this is easier said than done. The human brain loves latching onto things it can’t control.

I blame it on our obsession to command every single aspect of our life, a feat that, if was ever possible to achieve, would actually make things quite dull.

Some matters can make you feel extremely helpless, but being sad over them would offer you zero comfort.

Your inner self knows this truth, so listen when it’s advising you to let go of your worries.

Allow yourself to be sad. It’s okay to not be okay. But when facing an out-of-control situation, learn how to stay calm instead of diving headfirst into a negative space.

When you find yourself being sad anyway, turn to this post as a guide.

Sadness can be troublesome, but your quest for wellness rises as the victor in the end.

What are your preferred ways of dealing with sadness? Leave your answer in the comment box. I’d love to talk.