Why the sad

When we feel happy, we naturally want to maintain that happy feeling. Happiness signals to us that we are in a safe, familiar situation, and that little effort is needed to change anything.

Sadness, on the other hand, operates like a mild alarm signal, triggering more effort and motivation to deal with a challenge in our environment. Thus, people who are happier will sometimes be less motivated to push themselves toward action compared to someone in a negative mood, who will be more motivated to exert effort to change their unpleasant state.

We put this to the test by showing participants either happy or sad films—and then assigning them a demanding cognitive task with many difficult questions. There was no time limit, which allowed us to measure their perseverance by assessing the total time they spent on the questions, the number they answered, and the number they answered correctly. We found participants who were happy spent less time, attempted fewer items, and scored fewer correct answers than did participants we put in a negative mood, who spontaneously made more effort and achieved better results.

This suggests that a sad mood can increase and happy mood can reduce perseverance with difficult tasks, possibly because people are less motivated to exert effort when they already experience a positive mood.

Sad mood in turn may increase perseverance as people see greater potential benefits of making an effort. In general, happiness increases positive interactions between people.

Happy people are more poised, assertive, and skillful communicators; they smile more, and they are generally perceived as more likable than sad people.

However, in situations where a more cautious, less assertive and more attentive communication style may be called for, a sad mood may help. In one study, participants who first viewed happy or sad films were unexpectedly asked to go and request a file from a person in a neighboring office. Their requests were surreptitiously recorded by a concealed tape recorder.

Analyses showed that the sad mood produced more polite, elaborate, and hedging requests, whereas those in a happy mood used more direct and less polite strategies. Why would this be? In uncertain and unpredictable interpersonal situations, people need to pay greater attention to the requirements of the situation to formulate the most appropriate communication strategy. They must be able to read the cues of the situation and respond accordingly.

Sad people are more focused on external cues and will not rely solely on their first impressions, which happy people are more inclined to trust. In other experiments, we found that people in a sad mood are also more persuasive, produce more effective and concrete arguments to support their position, and are better able to convince others than are people in a positive mood.

They give players money and tell them to allocate as much as they want to another person who has the power to accept or reject the offer. If the offer is rejected, neither side gets anything. Past research has found that those in the giver role are not simply driven by maximizing benefits for themselves.

However, the impact of mood on such decisions has not been previously measured. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products.

List of Partners vendors. Sadness is an emotional state characterized by feelings of unhappiness and low mood. It is considered one of the basic human emotions. It is a normal response to situations that are upsetting, painful, or disappointing.

Sometimes these feelings can feel more intense, while in other cases they might be fairly mild. Unlike depression , which is persistent and longer-lasting, sadness is temporary and transitory. Sadness can, however, turn into depression. Be aware of the signs of sadness turning into depression and get help if you notice these symptoms significantly impacting your life for two weeks or longer.

Symptoms of depression include:. If you experience these, you may feel inclined to just "tough it out" and wait until it passes. However, the earlier you recognize these signs, the sooner you can seek help and change your situation. Know that you are not alone if you are experiencing some or multiple of the symptoms above.

If you've been experiencing symptoms of sadness or depression for longer than a few weeks, consider reaching out to your doctor to determine the cause and what you can do about it. Sometimes feeling depression is not a result of mental illness. It could be a medical condition , like hypothyroidism, for example, that can be causing symptoms of depression. Once your doctor rules out any potential medical causes , they will be able to provide other options for your depression or refer you to a psychiatrist or therapist who can help you.

Get our printable guide to help you ask the right questions at your next doctor's appointment. Your doctor will use a number of techniques to determine if what you are feeling is normal sadness or depression.

This often involves asking questions or having you complete a questionnaire about what type of symptoms you are experiencing, how long you have been feeling them, and how severe they are. Your doctor will also want to know more about your life and the impact these symptoms have had on your ability to function at home, work, and school. Your doctor may also perform a physical exam and conduct lab tests to rule out medical conditions or that might be contributing to your symptoms.

Remember to tell your doctor about any medications or supplements that you are taking since certain medications, such as beta-blockers and corticosteroids, may also cause feelings of depression. You may want to try some of these tips:. Maybe you know someone else who is feeling sad. For more ideas about how to support someone who is sad, read the tips from beyondblue.

Feeling sad does not mean you have depression. But if your mood starts to interrupt your life and how you function, then you may have become depressed. Key differences between sadness and clinical depression relate to the cause for the change in mood and how long you have felt that way. If your mood relates to a recent event, such as a relationship breakup, then you may well be feeling sadness.

This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. There are many people you can talk to who can help you overcome feelings of wanting to lash out. Anxiety disorders are common mental health problems that affect many people.

It is helpful to imagine assertiveness as the middle ground between aggression and passivity. Bisexuality is when a person finds men and women physically, sexually or emotionally attractive. Many people use controlled breathing to help promote relaxation and reduce the effects of stress.

Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional.

The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances.

The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website. Skip to main content. Healthy mind. Home Healthy mind. It's okay to feel sad. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. About sadness You may feel sad for many reasons Sadness will ease Supporting someone else who is feeling sad Sadness is different from depression Where to get help.

About sadness We use different words to talk about sadness: agony, anguish, broken heart, hurt, sorrow, dejection, dismay, homesickness, distress, unhappiness and more.

You may feel sad for many reasons Life is full of situations that may make people feel sad: having trouble at home for example, family fights or domestic violence having trouble at school or work, or feeling pressure there moving home losing a loved one or a friend being ill, or caring for someone who is ill experiencing chemical changes in your body from puberty, drugs or medicines experiencing changes in your thoughts for example, developing an unhelpful thinking style such as being self-critical, or learning new information about subjects such as poverty or terrorism.

Sadness will ease Feeling better can involve taking one step or many. You may want to try some of these tips: Be honest with yourself and the people around you. Talk to someone whom you trust. Seek help from a professional a doctor, psychologist, or other health professional. You may need support, advice or a referral to a specialist. Think about whether your sleep and eating patterns are good for you.