Mini-sketch: Getting through sad days
Mini-sketch: Getting through sad days
Sad days are inevitable, but there are ways to manage them.
Now and then, we might experience sad days (or even consecutive sad days). This might be because of depression or just because life is hard.
Even when we progress towards self-care and healing, we experience sad days. Sad days are a part of life and being human. The key to navigating sad days is compassion.
What sad days are:
Sad days are part of the human experience. Sadness is a normal human emotion that occurs when bad things happen, when we are stressed, when we are exhausted, and sometimes because of unspecific causes.
Sad days are NOT failures or a reflection of your progress.
Sadness and sad days are painful, and pain is inevitable. Suffering, on the other hand, is avoidable. Suffering occurs when we allow ourselves to be consumed by our sadness and grief.
Understanding our Sadness
It can be hard to recognize and acknowledge our sadness for many reasons:
We are used to feeling sad
We find comfort in feeling sad
We feel guilty for feeling sad
Example: Others have it worse.
We feel weak for feeling sad
We experience productivity guilt for feeling sad
We believe we deserve to feel sad
Sitting with sadness feels easier than managing sadness
Practicing Self-Compassion
Self-compassion refers to the kindness we show ourselves despite how we are feeling.
Self-compassion is not something we earn. Self-compassion is something we deserve for being human. Life can be hard, so we owe it to ourselves to show ourselves kindness.
Self-compassion starts with acknowledging our feelings and allowing ourselvesto feel those emotions - even the painful ones!
Mindfulness & Introspection
Mindfulness is a great way to get in touch with how you are feeling. Try the body scan - what is your body telling you?
Are you sleepy?
Are you hungry?
Are you tense?
Another great way to get in touch with your emotions is through introspection. Introspection is the act of looking inwards and reflecting on what you are going through. Journalling, reflecting, listening to music, and making art are all great ways to reflect.
Tips for Managing Sad Days
In addition to mindfulness and introspection, tips for getting through and managing sad days include:
Attending therapy
Reaching out to loved ones for support
Doing something fun, like a hobby
Reading
Exercising
Playing a game
Eating comforting food
Watching a favorite movie or tv show
The goal is to do something that makes you happy.
Thank you for reading our article
Therapy Sketches are reflections from the members of our clinical team at Roamers Therapy on connections and insights made in psychotherapy about our lives and how it impacts our mental health.
If you would like to read more articles like this, please visit
Our Therapy Sketches Blog: https://www.roamerstherapy.com/therapy-sketches/
Our Glossary of Mental Health Terms: https://www.roamerstherapy.com/glossary/.
Our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/roamerstherapy/.
If you would like to learn more about our clinical team, please visit
If you would like to begin therapy with one of our clinicians and
If you plan to use your insurance benefits, please visit
if plan starting as an out-of-network client, please visit https://www.roamerstherapy.com/self-pay-out-of-network-inquiry-form/.
For any other inquiries, please send us an email at contact@roamerstherapy.com.
Roamers Therapy is a group practice in the South Loop and Lakeview neighborhoods of Chicago, Illinois. We offer in-person sessions at our physical offices in Chicago. We also offer virtual sessions in Illinois and Washington, D.C. Our therapists are trained in modern, evidence-based modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy, and Gottman Method Relationship Therapy. We are experienced in treating trauma, anxiety, stress, depression, mood disorders, identity, and racial trauma, LGBTQIA+ issues, relationship issues, life transitions, and grief.
Copyright © 2023 Roamers Therapy, LLC.