fact
sheets
Feeling sad without knowing why
Sometimes we get sad, or even start crying, and don’t have a clue why.
Ever experienced unexplained crying, sadness, or stress? Find out how
to work out why, and what to do next if you just can’t figure things out.
Figuring out the cause of your sadness is important
When you understand the cause of a negative feeling like sadness, you
can do something about it. But if you can’t figure out the reason that you
feel sad, it’s hard to take control of the feeling.
Feeling sad is something that everyone experiences, but it’s not exactly a
fun experience, so working out how to overcome a sad feeling is a great
idea. While it could pass on its own, it doesn’t always, and feeling sad for
an extended period of time isn’t great for your emotional health.
How to work out why you’re sad
If you’re trying to work out why you might be feeling sad, here are some
things you should consider:
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There may be more than one thing that is causing you to feel sad
Talking to someone you trust, like a friend or a family member, could help you figure out
some of the causes
Tracking your thoughts by writing down your feelings. The causes of your sadness
could become more obvious
It might also help if you have an idea of the types of things/events that can
cause sadness in different people. These can include:
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Going through something stressful
Experiencing grief or loss
Being around people going through tough times
Arguing with someone
Problems at school/uni/work
Big life changes e.G. Moving house
Caring for someone who is unwell
Being bored
Being unwell
Having a medical condition or chronic illness
Not sleeping well
Not exercising enough
Hormonal changes
If this list inspires you and you can identify one or a couple of things which
may be contributing to your sadness, then you are in a better position to
overcome your feelings. Problem solving strategies can be really helpful
to overcoming some issues (see our fact sheet ‘Problem solving for
more info). If the cause of your sadness isn’t something that can really
be solved, you might need to focus on finding ways to cope instead
(see our fact sheet ‘Developing coping strategies’ for more info).
This can help with...
› Understanding what
can cause sadness
› Figuring out how to
identify the causes
of sadness
› Working out why
you’re feeling crap
Take action...
› Learn how to
problem solve
› Seek professional help
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Try and write down
the things which you
think might be causing
you to feel sad
www.reachout.com
If you still can’t figure it out
feel sad without
knowing why
Talk to someone you trust. Friends or family who know you well might
have some insights about your feelings which you can’t identify yourself.
It will also help to talk to an expert, like a counsellor. Speaking to a
counsellor will make the process of figuring out what’s going on much
easier for you. They can guide you through strategies to overcome your
sadness and will be able to tell if something more serious is going on.
From everyday troubles through to really tough times, take the first step
with ReachOut.com, Australia’s leading online youth mental health service.
www.reachout.com