Why am I so sad all the time?

Ever find yourself feeling sad or stressed for no apparent reason? If you’re tearful or crying a lot, or just feeling down, you’re not alone. It’s not unusual for others to feel like this, too, and there are people who can help you understand what’s going on.

This can help if:

• you feel sad all the time

• you want some help to stop feeling so sad

• you want to understand the causes of your sadness

• you want to know why people get sad.

How sad is too sad?

Everyone gets sad sometimes; it’s a part of being human. But feeling sad for a long period of time makes life really hard and isn’t good for your overall health. Here are some signs that sadness is taking over your life:

• You’ve stopped seeing friends and family.

• You get angry easily.

• You get emotional and/or find yourself crying for no reason.

• You’ve stopped caring about stuff that used to interest you.

• Your eating or sleeping habits have changed.

• You’re finding it hard to do all the things you used to do (such as work or chores).

Even if it feels like sadness is taking over right now, there are steps you can take to find relief.

What’s causing my sad feelings?

Not knowing what’s making you feel so down makes it hard to find a solution. But there are some simple things you can do to start making sense of it. 

One helpful step is to understand some common reasons people feel down, like experiencing grief or loss of a loved one, caring for someone who is unwell, or dealing with your own sickness or chronic illness. These are all challenging things to experience, so it’s natural to have sad feelings when dealing with them.

Smaller life events that can cause sadness

There are other less obvious reasons you might feel sad. You may not realise the impact they have on you in the moment, but sadness can often follow later down the track. This can include life events, such as:

• going through something stressful

• being around people who are going through a tough time

• having an argument with someone

• problems at school/uni/work

• being bored

• not sleeping well

• not exercising enough

• hormonal changes.

Why do I feel sad for no reason?

It's completely normal to feel sad sometimes, even if you can't pinpoint a reason. Emotions are complex. Things like stress, changes in your body, or even small things you might not notice at the time can affect how you feel. Sometimes, you might not feel sad in the moment, but then it hits you later on.

How to deal with sadness

If you’re unsure why you’ve been feeling sad so often, it can be hard to know what to do to start feeling better. Here are a few things you can try:

• Talk to someone you trust. Whether it’s a friend or a family member, opening up can help. They might offer a new perspective or help you spot things you hadn’t noticed. If you’re unsure of how to go about this, check out our five steps for talking to someone you trust.

• Write down your feelings. The causes of your sadness may become more obvious if you write about what’s happening in your life and how you feel about it. Don’t know where to get started? Try these journal prompts for when you’re feeling sad.

• Face things head-on. It’s tempting to hide away in bed all day when you’re feeling sad, but avoiding things isn’t proactive. If you’re struggling with motivation, try our motivation boosters.

If you can work out what’s getting you down, then you’ll be in a better position to turn your feelings around. Problem-solving strategies can be really helpful in overcoming certain issues. But if your sadness is linked to something you can’t easily solve, focusing on developing coping strategies can still make a big difference.

I feel so alone

You never have to cope with emotional problems on your own. A counsellor or psychologist can help you make sense of what you’re feeling, support you with strategies to manage your sadness, and identify if something more serious is going on.

If you’re not ready to chat to a counsellor or psychologist, that’s okay. You could try free, anonymous, online support like PeerChat, where you can chat to a trained peer worker about anything big or small that’s on your mind. Our Online Community is also a safe space for chatting or reading about how other people deal with sadness.

And remember: it's okay to feel sad – these feelings are valid, and they won’t last forever.

Want to know more about coping with sadness? For answers to your questions, Ask ReachOut.