One of Those Days

Summary

The web content discusses the experience of having unexplained "sad days" despite favorable circumstances and the importance of empathy and understanding towards oneself and others who may be experiencing such feelings.

Abstract

The article "One of Those Days" delves into the phenomenon of unexpected sadness that can occur even on days filled with positive elements, such as good weather, supportive family, and a balanced lifestyle. It acknowledges the difficulty in identifying the cause of this sadness, which can manifest as a persistent, unsettling feeling. The piece emphasizes that sadness is a natural human emotion, not inherently negative, and can stem from various sources including life changes, health issues, or external events. It highlights that Americans, on average, experience three unexplained "sad days" each month, and that sometimes, there is no logical explanation for these feelings. The author suggests that recognizing and accepting these days is crucial, as it can foster empathy and compassion in our interactions with others who might be struggling internally. The article concludes by advocating for kindness and understanding, proposing that simple acts like a hug or an expression of love can be a form of treatment for sadness.

Opinions

The author believes that sadness is a normal part of life and should not always be viewed negatively.
It is expressed that trying to identify a specific reason for sadness may not always be possible or necessary.
The article suggests that everyone experiences "sad days" and that these experiences are universal.
There is an emphasis on the importance of being understanding and compassionate towards others, as they may be dealing with unseen emotional struggles.
The author posits that acts of kindness, such as giving a hug or offering chocolate, can be effective in providing comfort to someone experiencing sadness.
The piece encourages a shift in perspective, from focusing on diagnosing and treating sadness as a problem, to accepting it as a part of the human experience and responding with empathy.

One of Those Days

“You see, I usually find myself among strangers because I drift here and there trying to forget the sad things that happened to me.”

– F. Scott Fitzgerald

You wake up and the weather is perfect. Your family is in a friendly and helpful mood. You’ve had a great night of rest, ate well, exercised all week. Your schedule isn’t packed and you have a fun dinner planned with friends for the coming weekend.

But even with everything “good” you still just don’t feel right. There is a niggling ruminating in your body, an unsettling sensation. You can’t pinpoint it, it’s just a feeling. You try to move beyond it and focus on all the amazing things in your life. But the cloud won’t dissipate.

We’ve all experienced it. It shows up unannounced, always unwelcome. There is no logical reasoning for it.

It’s just one of those days.

We do our best to ignore it and appear normal. We go about our day, smile at our family, hug our friends. When people ask how we are doing we respond enthusiastically, “I’m doing great,” and then proceed to turn the conversation back to them as we are on the verge of tears.

Sadness is very much a part of our lives. It also isn’t necessarily negative. It is a normal emotion from loss, change, illness, hormones, aging or external trauma. Sometimes sadness is seasonal as we see in the Nordic countries where depression is closely tied to the long, dark winters. Americans experience three unexplained “sad days” on average each month.

There isn’t always a reason for our sadness. We want to be able to pinpoint it, diagnose the reason, get a prognosis and then treat the malady. Some things, however, cannot be explained. There is no answer or solution.

Why does this matter? Why should we be talking about “sad days” when there is nothing we can do about it?

Because this isn’t just about us but others. When our child is acting up in the morning maybe they aren’t just being a teenager. When our partner isn’t responding perhaps it isn’t because they are intentionally ignoring us. When a work colleague isn’t engaged in a meeting maybe it isn’t out of disinterest. And when a friend ignores our calls maybe they aren’t doing it to be rude.

Maybe they are just having one of those days and the best thing we can do for them in these cases is to simply be understanding and give them a hug or buy them chocolate.

Let’s observe each other and do our best to be understanding. Because we may be the ones having a sad day next week. As the saying goes, do unto others.

Maybe there is a treatment for sadness after all.

A hug and a bit of love.