We all have our moments of sadness, whether they are based on something that happened or seem to just show up for no reason. For many of us, these sad moments can keep piling up, leading to long term low moods or even depression.
We can feel helpless when that happens.
But, we don’t have to if we remember these 3 things:
Your thoughts create your emotions – The things you think about can make you feel happy or sad. It would be really hard to have a feeling without a thought leading to it, maybe even impossible.
It only takes about 90 seconds to process a feeling – If you continue to feel sad beyond 90 seconds it means that you are caught in a recurring thought loop that reinforces the feeling.
Movement creates energy – When we move, especially at a brisk pace, our physical energy will rise. Our mental energy often follows. Taking action steps to resolve an issue works this way as well.
Here’s how you can make this work for you.
When you notice you are feeling sad:
- Interrupt your thought pattern. Let go of the negative thoughts that bring sadness and focus on ones that will lift you up,.
- Instead of resisting your sad feeling go deeper into it. Feel it fully. Let it process. It won’t take long and will be less likely to return once it has been honored.
- Do something. Either get up and move or take an action step that will help make your situation better.
- Repeat.
If the sadness returns, you may think this is not working, but it is. You can have 30-50 thoughts per minute, each one with the potential to cause a feeling. It will take persistence and repetition to retrain your brain to be more positive, but when you do, your life will be so much better.
Journaling Prompts: (This makes a wonderful journaling process as well.)
What thoughts am I having that contribute to this sadness?
What feelings do they bring up?
What positive thoughts can I focus on instead?
What would be possible for my life if I nurtured those positive thoughts instead of the sad ones?
Where do I feel the sadness in my body?
What does it want me to know?
Am I ready to thank the feeling and let it go?
What action or step can I take now to lift my energy or start moving forward?
No one feels happy all the time, but you can use these tools to help you move through sadness more quickly and feel better and better each time you do.
Related Posts:
Simple Solutions: Negative Thoughts
Agree with this “Movement creates energy – When we move, especially at a brisk pace, our physical energy will rise. Our mental energy often follows. Taking action steps to resolve an issue works this way as well.”