Feeling blue doesn’t necessarily mean you are doing something wrong. Rather, it helps us come to terms with the harsh side of reality and move on. And the Instagram account ‘Mad Sad Not Good’ is trying to normalize it. Using the universal language of memes, it shares relatable jokes about everyday struggles, fostering a sense of solidarity and understanding among its followers. More info: Instagram “Sadness is a natural emotion that we are meant to experience during certain periods in our lives,” he told Bored Panda. “It is normally intermittent, like all our other emotions, and will come and go depending on what’s happening at any given time.” “Sadness is more persistent during periods of adaptation to a loss when it will help us gradually reset our mind in response to that loss,” the psychiatrist added. “The sadness we feel when we fail to achieve a certain goal, or that associated with unrequited love, may also help us re-evaluate our ambitions and lower our expectations. Sadness makes us withdraw and reflect for a while, which may result in better planning.” “In contrast, depression is a clinical condition, an illness that needs to be treated,” he said. “In depression, negative emotions spiral out of control, generating enormous suffering. A depressed person feels sad and anxious constantly and for long periods of time, and typically finds it difficult to sleep, or to enjoy anything in their lives.” “So while emotions are fleeting and have functions that help us live our lives, a depressive illness has no function. It is a malfunction.” Interestingly, the new year doesn’t start on a good note either, with a quarter feeling at their lowest during January. Spending time with friends and family is the top way people combat January blues, followed by listening to music, resting, and going outdoors. That being said, the average person spends just under an hour a day outdoors in winter and estimates only 44 minutes of that is in direct sunlight. Furthermore, one in five only gets between 1 and 15 minutes a day under the winter sun’s rays. James noted that simply getting outside into natural daylight can sometimes be enough to top up your mood, as it boosts your body even when the sun isn’t breaking through, as well as giving you a chance to get a little exercise. “Remember too that despite what you see in social media, we are not really meant to be consistently happy. Humans will always struggle with intermittent difficult emotions, which are there because of a set of very powerful biological and evolutionary reasons, so they are not going to go away any time soon.” For more similar memes, check out our first publication on ‘Mad Sad Not Good.’ Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda! Please use high-res photos without watermarks Ooops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.
