Getting Back to Your Happy Place

Is it okay to be sad? A friend of mine who is going through a difficult time recently asked me this. Feeling sad and being sad are different. Achieving good mental, physical and spiritual health is derived from dealing with painful emotions. From something as simple as holiday letdown to severely damaged relationships, dealing with your emotions is a key to getting back to your happy place. Allowing yourself to feel the pain is important to moving on but you must move past that after a set time. Sir Winston Churchill said “If you are going through hell, keep going.” I recently spoke to Television Host and Pastor Paula White who lets others know that pain, change and transformation is part of the life journey.  

Although sadness is a normal emotion, it is vital to deal with it to remain healthy. Had a good cry lately? When dealing with painful situations this can often be helpful. Women are often accused of crying at the drop of a dime but this is actually a step towards healing.

Not long ago I was in intensive care after delivering my daughter. When I finally came home, I cried for about a month straight. No..Seriously. A good dose of this can be attributed to the hormonal surges mothers experience. For me, this was mixed with pain, anger, fear and uncertainty. I needed to go through those emotions after surviving a nearly fatal situation. Denying myself that opportunity may have resulted in emotional toxicity. Crying seems to act as a kind of transition point between feeling upset or sad and feeling better and more positive. They say there's nothing like a good cry for flushing out those negative emotions and feeling better afterward.

There are some benefits to sadness. Not only will you appreciate the good times more but it can signal the need for change in your life. Sadness should not be confused with depression. Depression is longer lasting and individuals should seek professional help especially when associated with the interference in the daily activities of living, feelings of helplessness and extreme despair. 

Here are some tips to overcoming sadness and getting back to your happy place.  

• Don’t just press through painful moments. Allow yourself to feel the pain. But don’t stay there.
• Big girls do cry. Allow yourself to have a good one if you need to.
• Reflect. Allow yourself to look back on events that made you sad. Take action if you need to change things in your life.
• Get Support. Allow yourself to be comforted by friends and family.