Sadness is a primary and universal emotion that most people feel at some point in their lives. However, from a very young age we avoid being sad at all costs. This is because we consider it to be a very negative emotion. Despite this, sadness is an important part of being human, as it allows us to feel and validate our own vulnerable experiences.
But,what is sadness in psychology? In this Psychology-Online article, we explain in detail what it is for and how to deal with this emotion so closely linked to human beings and which serves for our own survival.
What is sadness
First, sadness can be described as a temporary primary emotion of intense unhappiness, usually caused by deliberate thoughts about unpleasant events, such as separations or losses. Sadness usually arises when receiving bad news or experiencing emotionally complicated situations.
In addition to this, the American Psychological Association (APA) dictionary defines sadness as a state of unhappinessthe intensity of which can vary from mild to extreme, depending on your assessment of what you lost or experienced.
Although sadness is a natural emotion, it can become a problem if you do not know how to manage it and can interfere with daily life. In fact, when sadness becomes persistent, it becomes one of the main symptoms of major depressive disorder.
What is sadness for in psychology?
The main function of sadness is to protect us and unite us with others. In other words, it is an emotion that has a fprotective and adaptive anointing to promote survival. In this sense, we can say that sadness acts in two ways:
- It promotes the need for introspection: when sadness arises, thoughts will try to explain our feelings in order to understand the reason for that emotional state. A moment of isolation may be needed to begin managing this emotion. Furthermore, introspection is likely to lead to the reorganization of behaviors to adapt to the new reality.
- Promotes relational function: sadness is also essential for the people around us to understand that we need their support. In fact, it serves as an expression that we are living in very difficult times and that we need company. This function of sadness also helps create the feeling of togetherness and understanding.
Causes of sadness in psychology
Sadness can have many causes, from a loss, experiencing a disturbing situation or even the diagnosis of an illness. Sadness usually lasts a few days to a few weeks, and goes away as your mood improves.
Next, we will show you the main causes of sadness:
- The loss of a loved one, whether due to death or separation. In this article you will find information about.
- Loneliness.
- The disappointment.
- Rejection.
- Losing something important, such as a pet, job, or financial assets, among others.
- The appearance of a disease.
- When an accident occurs or there are financial problems.
In addition, there are studies that indicate that some people may feel sadder during the winter, since at that time there are fewer hours of sunlight, which can cause an increase in melatonin production.
Consequences of sadness in psychology
The consequences of sadness manifest themselves mainly on a physical, cognitive and behavioral level. Of course, we must keep in mind that each person can express sadness differently. Generally, these are the main consequences of sadness:
- On a physical level: when sadness invades us, one of its main consequences is crying, lethargy, lack of appetite, lack of energy, feeling of fatigue, body sluggishness or sleeping problems, among others. Additionally, a feeling of tightness in the chest may arise, as well as a constant tingling in the throat.
- On a cognitive level: when we are sad it is difficult to keep our mind calm. In addition, it is difficult to concentrate and they often arise about the situation that caused the emotion.
- At a behavioral level: sadness hinders motivation to carry out different daily tasks and reduces the desire to interact or participate in social activities.
Together with all these factors, sadness can also be accompanied by other emotions, such as the following:
- Fear of moving forward.
- Anger at the feeling of losing something or someone.
- Joy in receiving the comfort and company of other people.
- since you remember and long for the experiences that you can no longer live.
How to deal with sadness
Although sadness is a difficult emotion to manage, if we recognize and accept it, it can help us better understand how we feel and eventually lead us to happiness. The first thing you should know is that sadness is not a sign of weakness. Therefore, you must accept it. Once you accept it, you can look for solutions to manage this emotional state.
Next, we will show you some techniques and strategies to deal with sadness in psychology:
- Cry if you need to: society has instilled in us that crying is frowned upon. For this reason, many people repress crying, which ends up causing a lot of damage on a physical and emotional level. In fact, crying helps balance the parasympathetic system, releases stress and releases toxins. Therefore, cry without guilt if you need to.
- Find a purpose: Try to focus on something that motivates you and inspires you to move forward. It is necessary that you begin to cultivate self-knowledge so that you identify the things that can make you happy.
- Practice some outdoor activity: you can do sports, walks or walks outdoors to stimulate the production of endorphins and serotonin, hormones associated with a positive mood.
- Try to socialize: even if your mood is not the happiest, it is necessary that you seek the company of your loved ones. Do not isolate yourself, as this is much worse and increases the feeling of sadness.
- Do not hesitate to seek professional help: if your sadness becomes something very long-lasting and you cannot get out of that situation, do not hesitate to seek the help of a specialist, as there are many highly effective therapies that can enhance your well-being and improve your quality of life. life.
If you need more information about , in this article, we show you other strategies to achieve it.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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References
- American Psychological Association official website: https://dictionary.apa.org/sadness
Bibliography
- Ekman, P. (1999). Basic Emotions. Handbook of Cognition and Emotion, 45-57. Retrieved from https://www.paulekman.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Basic-Emotions.pdf
- Lauwerijssen, K. (2008). Sadness. Retrieved from http://arno.uvt.nl/show.cgi?fid=113006
- Ministry of Health of Spain (2021). Emotional Wellbeing. https://bemocion.sanidad.gob.es/emocionEstres/tristeza/aspectosEsenciales/queEs/home.htm
- World Health Organization. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs369/en/