Embracing Sadness: Why Its Okay Not to be Okay

By Jean Ashlee Viktoria Zervoulakos

In a society where humanity prioritizes happiness, the acknowledgment of sadness can feel far-fetched. Terms like “Kaya ko ‘to!” and “Maliit na bagay lang ‘to.” are thrown from person to person to fulfill the sense of positivity in oneself. 

People on the internet call this act Emotional Gaslighting, wherein you tell yourself everything is grasped within the palm of your hand and nothing is too hard on you; well in fact, you want nothing more than a helping hand and a shoulder to cry on. 

This is why people should start embracing sadness, just like every other emotion to come to light. Embracing our sadness should not only be a natural response of the human body but also a way to regulate our cognitive being, as it is crucial for self-growth and a step closer to self-love. 

Sadness is normal, yet people are still conditioned to suppress it. From childhood, we are directed to “suck it up” and “cheer up”, because sadness is taboo and the default emotion known to everyone should be happiness. This builds up the stigma that sadness is the equivalent of weakness. However, emotions are big and complex, and you are valid to feel whatever it is inside of you. Since sorrow is vital for processing events and building resilience, it must be accepted for emotional well-being. Hormonal changes have a big impact on mood control; for instance, estrogen raises dopamine and serotonin levels, which are essential for emotional stability. On the other hand, progesterone may cause depression by decreasing serotonin availability and raising monoamine oxidase activity.

Instead of bottling up your emotions, why not transform them into a fountain of feelings? That way, you will find the key to accepting yourself as you are building a step forward towards your holistic being.