Day 14 Sadness

I'm on day 14 of the SEP and today I've been feeling a lot of "unexplained" sadness. I don't know exactly where it's coming from or what it's related to. I haven't really tried to figure it out either -- I've just been extra kind with myself and have allowed myself to feel whatever I feel. Is this relatively common and normal for someone doing the program? Have others also felt unexpected feelings coming up like this, even if you can't quite figure out the cause?

 

Hi Oceana,
I've also felt very emotional lately. Sad, mad, depressed... I don't know why. Sometimes, ordinary things make me really upset, for no reasons. I think it's normal

 

I'm on day 5 of the SEP but it's been 3 weeks since I first read Mindbody Prescription. When I first read it I had sort of high feeling. I was really happy and hopeful. It was a really hard week because of all the self-talk. I constantly stopped my migraines. One day I must have talked it away about 15 times. By mid-week I was absolutely mentally exhausted. I was so tired that I couldn't think about it anymore so I took 2 days off and my headaches came back.
Then, came the sadness. I was so depressed and it lasted about a week. It was like I was in a cage and I couldn't break the bars. I couldn't really feel anything but sadness. I never really figured out why I was sad. I think it was just so much mental work and then doubt kicked in and I felt very defeated.
It lasted about a week. I took long showers and read the book and did everything like normal and eventually the sadness lifted.
I think all of us have been through so much with our chronic pains and now we are going through this SEP program and digging up emotions that we are bound to have feelings of sadness. It's a lot that we are constantly thinking about.
Your sadness will go away. Just keep going through it. You might even figure out where it's coming from. Don't think too much about it just keep taking care of yourself like you are doing.

 

Thank you for these kind responses. It helps to know others are going through similar stuff. I guess once we stop repressing (or suppressing) certain feelings, we are bound to feel them consciously, even if we don't know where they are coming from exactly. Honestly, I would much rather deal with feeling sad for a while than having chronic physical pain!

 

That's so true. What a good way to look at it.

 

Hi, Oceana and Ines. I think hat sadness and feeling depressed are common to everyone at some times, and come on when we're dealing with our emotional stresses. We just have to fight those feelings off with positive thinking and, to me, laughing helps. Even if there is nothing to laugh about, just laugh. Maybe start with a smile. Then just laugh. It helps to watch a funny movie or TV show or read a funny book or something funny on the Internet. I've found funny videos to watch on Youtube.

Laughing is really healthy. It releases endorphins that make us feel better.

One of the best feelings in the world is the deep-rooted belly laugh. It can bring people together and establish amazing connections. Everything from a slight giggle to a side-splitting guffaw can change the temperature of a room from chilly unfamiliarity to a warm family-like atmosphere.

There is so much to love about laughter that it seems greedy to look for more, but that’s exactly what researchers Dr. Lee Berk and Dr. Stanley Tan at the Loma Linda University in California have done. These two doctors have researched the benefits of laughter and found amazing results. Get ready to get your giggle on!

1. Laughing lowers blood pressure
People who lower their blood pressure, even those who start at normal levels, will reduce their risk of strokes and heart attacks. So grab the Sunday paper, flip to the funny pages and enjoy your laughter medicine.

2. Reduces stress hormone levels
You benefit from reducing the level of stress hormones your body produces because hormone-level reduction simultaneously cuts the anxiety and stress impacting your body. Additionally, the reduction of stress hormones in your body may result in higher immune system performance. Just think: Laughing along as a co-worker tells a funny joke can relieve some of the day's stress and help you reap the health benefits of laughter.

3. Fun ab workout
One of the benefits of laughter is that it can help you tone your abs. When you are laughing, the muscles in your stomach expand and contract, similar to when you intentionally exercise your abs. Meanwhile, the muscles you are not using to laugh are getting an opportunity to relax. Add laughter to your ab routine and make getting a toned tummy more enjoyable.

4. Improves cardiac health
Laughter is a great cardio workout, especially for those who are incapable of doing other physical activity due to injury or illness. It gets your heart pumping and burns a similar amount of calories per hour as walking at a slow to moderate pace. So, laugh your heart into health.

5. Boosts T cells
T cells are specialized immune system cells just waiting in your body for activation. When you laugh, you activate T cells that immediately begin to help you fight off sickness. Next time you feel a cold coming on, add chuckling to your illness prevention plan.

6. Triggers the release of endorphins
Endorphins are the body’s natural pain killers. By laughing, you can release endorphins, which can help ease chronic pain and make you feel good all over.

7. Produces a general sense of well-being
Laughter can increase your overall sense of well-being. Doctors have found that people who have a positive outlook on life tend to fight diseases better than people who tend to be more negative. So smile, laugh and live longer!

 

Thanks Walt. That's a great tip.. : )