5 Fun Steps To Overcome Sadness So You Can Be Happy Again!
Let’s face it. Life can sometimes suck and not everything goes according to plan. That’s why I think planning can be slightly overrated. Anyway.
When we are dealing with tough circumstances or feel like we have failed at something and nothing is going right, there is no one to depend on but yourself to see you through. Depression can sometimes set in and it’s hard to overcome sadness, amirite?
So let’s say we failed at something (that word makes me cringe but for some reason, people still resonate with it so I use it for you). What’s the first thing we do? Bury our heads in the sand.
We stay away from people so we don’t have to answer the questions. The last thing we want to do is talk about this failure that just occurred.
Why does everyone want to talk about it? Why can’t they just shut up about it? People love to hear about tragic stuff. Drama, devastation, tragedy. Yup!
For some bizarre reason, they are drawn to negative stuff. And your recent failure is right up there on the list of ground-breaking news. It’s like people feel better about themselves when they hear your bad stuff is worse than theirs. I dunno.
Anyway…
It’s hard to overcome sadness when everyone wants to talk about your recent failure
News flash for you guys! We don’t wanna talk about it right now so please leave me alone. Please. How about we talk about other stuff like oh, the weather, the latest UFC fight card, and the newest skincare line that will take years off your face?
Yes, let’s talk about mindless stuff please, for the love of God. How can you expect us to overcome sadness and the feeling of failure if you all want to keep talking about it?
I am no stranger to failure. I’ve had my fair share. It’s little wonder I am not a raging alcoholic or crack user as a result of all the crap I’ve been through (and no, I’m def not looking for any sympathy here). The first few times I failed at something it was devastating for me.
Now? Meh. Not so much. I’ve learned to handle it in a much different way. I now know exactly what failure is.
Feeling lonely and miserable sucks!
When I go through tough times, I still have to bury my head in the sand and cry but that usually only lasts about an hour now. (it used to last for weeks!!) Yup, I still do this.
Keep in mind that failure is a bit of a loss of something, right? A bad blow. A brick that hit hard. The immediate loss? Your pride. Other loss? Self-confidence. And what do we want to do when this happens? For most people, cry.
Feeling miserable and like a failure can totally consume you if you don’t get a good handle on it and overcome sadness. Many people love to stay in misery but trust me, this place doesn’t serve you at all. Don’t stay and linger there.
I found this amazing video on YouTube from MotivationHub. I think you might like it. It’s got some great motivational speeches to help you overcome sadness, anxiety, fear, and loneliness.
I figured out 5 fun ways to overcome sadness
Anyway, I figured it was time to learn new ways of handling this failure thing cause crying was just leaving my eyes all puffy and I would eventually have to handle the crowd of finger-pointers and whisperers. It was time to pull up my big girl panties and handle failure like a pro. I mean, by now, I should be a pro at it, yes?
So here is my list of the crazy things I like to do the day after failure. They don’t necessarily make me feel good days or weeks to come but they make me feel good that day and that’s all I need. That’s all that matters.
Cartoons!!!!
I love doing this and anyone who knows me knows that Despicable Me 2 is my favorite movie of all time. I’ll watch that movie all day! Those minions make me so friggin happy it’s not even funny.
Junk food coma anyone?
I’ll eat chocolate, popcorn, chips, Fruit Loops for dinner (yes I have a box of Fruit Loops, and??), ju jubes, you name it, I’ll get it and eat it. The stove or microwave doesn’t get used. I cook nothing and will only eat anything that comes out of a box and can be eaten immediately.
Pj day! Yes!
My go-to pj’s are my Tweety Bird ones. They are cozy and cute. I almost feel safe in them. Childlike if you will. As soon as I put them on I literally feel all my sadness and troubles melt away.
I think these pjs are magic!!
Step away from the electronics, please.
…and any other form of communication from the outside world. I know, crazy right??? Most of us can’t even do that for an hour. Try a day! Pretend you still live in the rotary phone era.
And though this may not seem like a completely fun thing to do, it’s pretty therapeutic. But wait, not only that, you can actually find more fun things to do while you’re not glued to your phone!
Truth letter time!
Write one of these to someone who recently pissed you off and tell them how fan-friggin-tastic your life is now that they are not part of your life anymore and how successful and rich and awesome you are.
I love doing this.
My letter is rather colorful with lots of, um, descriptive words. I can get a lot of baggage out in a short period of time writing this letter. It’s liberating and a whole lot of fun!
Oh, and no, don’t send it to them. Burn it, rip it up, do whatever but DO NOT MAIL IT!!
If you’re overcome with sadness, just try one of the tips above!!
This is my list of crazy things I like to do that help me forget my troubles for the day. I understand, of course, that the next day, life resumes and you still have to deal with stuff (and maybe a sore belly too) but it is easier for me to get a grip on the failure I just suffered. I depend on these crazy things now to get me through bad times.
I have a newfound determination to try something else. My mind is cleared, (though you would think it would be in a junk food coma) and I can view things differently, in a more positive way.
How do you deal with failure? What are the tricks that help you get past it? I’d love to hear them.
Peace and Love
Iva
I enjoyed this post because it’s so honest and realistic. I deal with failure like any normal person. I cry a few times, but I also always look at the bright side as soon as I get myself together. I have my comfort movies—chick flicks. And always always, I pray. That’s the way I roll with the F word. :)
Hi Lux, thanx for your comment. Pray, yes, I do lots of that :-).
Thanks for the reminder to not take ourselves so seriously Iva! Failure can be crushing sometimes but taking it a little more lightly and with humor gives us the right perspective. You’ve given us some healthy ways to deal with failure. Can we do the junk food diet even without failure:) ?
Thanx Lux and Vishnu for your comments and yes, you can do the diet whenever your heart desires ;)
This post is so interesting. I loved how beautifully you explained everything.