Occasional sad feelings are usually normal but if you notice that you are feeling sad more often for no reason, there could be more going on under the surface. Many factors influence mood, including hormones, weather changes, mental health concerns, or interpersonal stressors.
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Why Do I Feel Sad for No Reason?
There are many reasons why someone may be sad for no reason. Usually, occasional experiences of sadness are normal, especially if something is going on in your life, such as a job or relationship change, or if you are dealing with stress in other areas of your life.
However, sometimes feeling sad could be a sign of depression, especially if the feelings are prolonged and appear to worsen.
What Is the Difference Between Sadness & Depression?
Sadness is usually a temporary state with a clear reason, such as stress, losing someone you love, or experiencing recent disappointments. It will often last less than two weeks. Depression, on the other hand, lasts at least two weeks. “It’s much more than sadness or low mood.”1
Although sadness and depression are often used interchangeably in social circles and mainstream media, there is a difference between the two. Knowing the differences between sadness and depression and how they manifest can help you determine whether what you are experiencing is normal or if you could benefit from additional support.
Reasons You May Be Depressed & Not Realize It
It is very possible for a person to be depressed and not realize it. Due to stereotypes of depressed people being easy to spot, many assume they would know if they had depression. However, depression does not always look like persistent sadness, lethargy, or inability to get out of bed, as the media would have us believe.
Being in denial of your symptoms, unaware of how they manifest in you due to stereotypes, or struggling to realize it due to stigmas and shame about depression are all common reasons someone can have depression but not know it.
Here are a few reasons you may be depressed and not realize it:
- You’ve struggled with depression for a while, and so this state has become your “normal”
- You are in denial due to shame and stigmas
- Your depression manifests differently than others
- You thought the signs were just a normal part of getting older
- You are male- as men with depression often have different symptoms
Signs & Symptoms of Depression
There are some ways that you can learn how to recognize depression in yourself. Being mindful of changes in your routine is an important part of recognizing signs. Take note of changes in yourself, such as sleeping more or eating less, and acknowledge new difficulties, such as the inability to concentrate or focus on work tasks.
Common signs and symptoms of depression are:2, 3
- Feeling like you’re moving or speaking slower than usual
- Decreased motivation and desire to complete tasks you once enjoyed
- Noticeable decrease in energy
- Sleep changes such as insomnia or sleeping too much
- Inability to concentrate or make decisions
- Noticeable weight loss or gain/noticeable appetite changes
- Decline in sex drive
- Apathy, or feeling like you just don’t care anymore
- Feeling worthless
- Suicidal thoughts
Types of Depression
When we think of depression, often symptoms of major depressive disorder come to mind. However, there are many different types of depression.
Types of depression include:
- Perinatal or prepartum depression: Perinatal depression involves episodes of depression symptoms that present during pregnancy.
- Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: Premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD, generally shows symptoms up to a week before your menstrual period starts. Symptoms present as depression, irritability, anxiety, and being overwhelmed.
- Postpartum depression: Postpartum depression is depression symptoms that are experienced during pregnancy or anytime in the first year after giving birth. It can present as pervasive stress or worries about your ability to care for your new baby or even intrusive thoughts about harming yourself or your baby, making it difficult for you to bond with your child. Unlike the “baby blues,” which usually resolve within a couple of weeks and often without intervention, postpartum depression differs greatly.
- Seasonal affective disorder (SAD): SAD is a form of depression during certain seasons. It is a type of mood change that occurs during seasonal changes, often getting worse during colder months.
- Psychotic depression: Psychotic depression is a severe form of depression where someone experiences symptoms of psychosis along with depression.
- Major Depressive Disorder: Feeling persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, despair, along with other symptoms that are present for at least two weeks.3
- Dysthymia: This is when a person experiences persistent and chronic symptoms of low level depression. It is less severe than major depression, with most people reporting mild symptoms. It is sometimes classified as Persistent Depressive Disorder.3
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Other Reasons You May Feel Sad for No Reason
Depression is not always the reason for feelings of sadness. If depression does not seem to be the right reason for you, there are other reasons that could explain these feelings.
Other reasons you may feel sad without an obvious reason:
Trauma
Having a traumatic history that you have not fully dealt with can create lingering feelings of sadness. Many people try to push aside their childhood trauma, which creates a sort of denial that ends up appearing later down the road.
Even if you have fully dealt with your trauma history, healing can ebb and flow. Therefore, it is normal to have occasional feelings of sadness that creep up even years after the experience has been worked through. This is normal, and it should pass within a few hours or days.
Shift in Hormones
Our hormones affect everything from our appetite, sex drive, mood, and energy level. Having a change or shift in hormones can make a person sad for no reason.
This is especially true in females, or those who have the female hormones of estrogen and progesterone, or those who have a sudden change in their hormones. Because our hormones affect our mood, a shift in hormones can definitely provoke, or increase, feelings of sadness.
Weather Patterns
Some people are more affected by seasonal weather changes than others. Rain and cold, dark weather can influence mood and cause sadness in some people who are more sensitive to these changes.
If you experience some sadness or slight mood changes as the seasons pass, this is a normal response. However, if you find that your symptoms are more similar to depression, rather than sadness, it could be a sign of seasonal affective disorder.
Loneliness
Having a lack of social support would make anyone feel sad, especially if they are experiencing feelings of loneliness. Moving to a new town where you do not know anyone, starting a new job, or even having a fallout with a friend group can all contribute to feelings of sadness.
Job Burnout
Feeling unfulfilled, or even burned out from your job or career can contribute to feelings of sadness. If you notice that you are more sad around work time, and it gets better after you clock out or when you have a day off, it is worth looking into whether burnout is a cause of your mood changes.
Life Stressors or Changes
Have you recently changed jobs or graduated? Or are you caring for a loved one who is sick? All of these changes in your life can create stress, which affects physical and mental health. Feelings of sadness are completely normal during life stressors.
How to Cope With Feeling Sad for No Reason
Occasionally feeling sad or down for no apparent reason is totally okay. It’s normal, and usually not a cause for concern. However, if you notice that you are becoming sad more often, or want to explore where the feelings may be coming from, here are some ways to cope.
Here are six tips for how to cope with feeling sad for no reason:
1. Explore the Cause in Therapy
Therapy is a great place to begin exploring the cause of your sadness. Some people prefer individual therapy, where they are alone with the therapist, while others get more benefit from group therapy, due to the peer support element.
There are benefits to any type of therapy, so the key is finding what works best for you while taking time and cost into consideration. Group therapy has been shown to be cost effective and therefore more attainable to many.4
Here are a few types of therapy that can help cope with feeling sad for no reason:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): 1-2 sentences to explain what CBT for depression helps a person identify the thoughts and triggers for their depression, and helps them to work on ways to decrease these triggers.
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: EMDR for depression is a type of therapy used to decrease the depressive symptoms often associated with trauma, such as those with PTSD.
- Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT): DBT for depression involves teaching skills to people to help decrease the intensity of depression, and to help improve emotional regulation skills.
- Group therapy: Group therapy, specifically when led by non physicians, has shown to be effective in supporting people with depression due to having peer support to bounce ideas and suggestions off of.
- Psychodynamic therapy: Psychodynamic therapy is a technique that helps a person to develop insight into their self and environment to help decrease the symptoms they are experiencing.
- Art and music therapy: Expressive therapies such as art and music therapy are highly recommended for depression and sad feelings because of the emotions evoked in creative therapies.5
Depression Is Treatable With Therapy
Would you like to feel more happiness and joy? BetterHelp has over 20,000 licensed therapists who provide convenient and affordable online therapy. BetterHelp starts at $65 per week. Take a Free Online Assessment and get matched with the right therapist for you.
2. Open Up to Your Loved Ones
Many people with depression feel ashamed about their feelings, and worry that they are bothering others. Therefore, opening up to others can be a struggle for them, and many choose to suffer silently instead
Opening up to loved ones can help you feel less isolated and more supported. Start by talking to one person who you feel comfortable with, and see how it goes from there.
3. Consider Medication
If you find that you are struggling with persistent sadness that does not go away, or reappears frequently, it is okay to have a discussion with your medical or mental health providers to see if medication might be an option for you.
Antidepressant medications such as SSRIs or SNRIs are sometimes needed for people who notice that their feelings of sadness are actually a symptom of depression or another mental health condition.
4. Allow Yourself to Feel it
When you experience a feeling of sadness, go ahead and let yourself feel it rather than trying to ignore it or push it away. Occasional feelings of sadness are okay, and are sometimes your body’s way of telling you something. Allowing yourself to cry could be beneficial as crying can be good for you.
5. Go Easy on Yourself
There is often a great deal of shame or frustration that comes with mood changes, especially when they seem to come out of the blue. Remember to show yourself some emotional self-care and go easy on yourself during this time, along with making sure to get adequate rest.
6. Increase Self Care
Increasing self care can help combat feelings of sadness. Spending some time in the sun, taking a hot bath, or allowing yourself to crawl up on the couch with a good book that leads to a good nap are all excellent ways to practice self care.
When to Seek Professional Support
Occasional feelings of sadness are rarely a cause for concern, especially if there is a lot of stress or change going on in your life. However, if you find that your feelings are preventing you from being able to complete tasks or manage obligations, therapy can help.
You can find many therapists on an online therapist directory or online therapy platform. There are also many online psychiatrist options that could be a good choice for finding depression medication management.
In My Experience
In my experience, many of my clients who have a trauma history that they have not been able to explore will report having frequent periods of unexplained unhappiness. I find that those who validate these unhappy feelings, and allow adequate time and space to explore them, end up better able to decrease the feelings easier than those who try to ignore them.
Additional Resources
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