Introduction:
Feeling blue means gloominess present or feeling down or tearful for no apparent reason being present. Feeling sadness is quite normal for all in life. Emotions or feelings change according to day-to-day experiences. It is considered normal to feel down during difficult situations.
What Is Feeling Blue?
Many cultures refer to different colors in different states of moods. Past 1300, the color blue represented sadness. Geoffrey Chaucer was the first author to write the word blue. Feeling blue means sadness or desperation because of sadness.
The word sadness is linked to blue, but in 1800, blue referred to the medical condition of a person at the last stage of life and about to pass away. This last stage of a person is referred to as the same as the last stage of emotions of the person.
There are theories about why the color blue is related to sadness.
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In the olden days, ships used to fly blue flags when the captain or an officer of the ship died during the voyage.
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In West African culture, they used blue or indigo to dye the clothing of mourners as a part of death or bereavement ceremonies.
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The color blue or indigo is related to the belief in dirge-like songs historically sung by slaves on plantations in the southern United State, which was known as “the blues”.
There are some other words for feeling blue.
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Down in the dumps.
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Depressed.
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Pessimistic.
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Moody.
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Dispirited.
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Sad.
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Miserable.
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In low spirit.
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Cheerless.
Some researchers have found that colors can have psychological effects. Blue is found to be a natural color representing pale blue as a daytime sky and dark blue as a deep pool of water. Generally, blue is considered to represent calm and serenity. It may also sometimes represent icy, distant, or even cold.
Depending on culture and spirituality, the blue color represents different psychological effects.
The cultural meaning of blue: The meaning derived by various regions is different globally.
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In India, blue represents truth, love, and mercy.
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In Latin America, blue represents mourning but also represents trust and tranquility.
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In North America, Blue is considered soothing and represents the trustful person or official business.
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In the United Kingdom, it represents tranquility, dignity, and decorum.
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In West European countries, blue represents truth, serenity, reliability, responsibility, and fidelity.
Spiritual Meanings of Blue:
Blue represents water bodies, considered spiritual, and chakras, which are centers of the body, are represented by blue and considered spiritual.
Symbolic Meanings of Blue:
Blue symbolizes trust, dedication, and responsibility. It also represents feelings of security.
In the workplace, blue represents loyalty and goal orientation.
Is It Normal to Have Feeling Blue?
It is common to have sadness. All emotions have their significance. Generally, people feel down during difficult situations. If a problem persists for longer, the person may feel a blue mood.
It becomes important to recognize the difference between ordinary sadness and depression.
The person can identify why he is feeling sadness.
Some reasons could be,
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Missing or losing an opportunity.
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Loss of a loved one.
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Breakup in the relationship.
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Frustration towards life.
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Being betrayed by someone.
In the case of depression, the trigger cannot be identified. The individual feels sadness, hopelessness, and frustration but may be unable to identify the reason. Sadness slowly gets reduced as time passes, whereas this does not happen in the case of depression.
People with depression are not common when compared to ordinary people without depression. Some people with depression may get suicidal thoughts. In the case of sadness, people may feel a little bleak but do not get suicidal thoughts. Also, people must not get affected by doing daily activities.
There is a difference in the duration of depression to cause and blue mood. A minimum of two weeks is required for depression to cause, and it may go on for a few weeks to months or years, whereas, in the case of feeling down, it may go off within a few days or hours.
How to Cope With Feeling Blue?
To have a good quality of life, the individual must understand how to cope with this condition.
The following can be adapted to cope with feeling blue:
Talking to close ones like friends, family, or someone the individual trusts may help reduce stress. They can give suggestions or give the company and other diversions during sadness. Laughter can help ease the sadness or feeling of blue. Hence watching movies with jokes or anything that can create laughter may help.
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Regular exercise can help fight the situation well. The exercises help release endorphins, which act as natural painkillers that help one feel mentally and physically well. Physical activity helps reduce stress and improves sleep quality.
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Spending time outside in nature help reduce low mood and helps in relieving stress. Sunlight is also very important as it helps in the secretion of neurotransmitters called serotonin. This helps improve mood.
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Spending quality time with nature, like around trees, flowers, and running water, may help relieve stress and give a feeling of well-being.
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Talking about the situation may help in reducing stress. If difficult to express through words, writing down the feelings, writing poems, creating art, and using music to share feelings may be of great help to come out of the situation.
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Changing the daily routine and switching to it may help reduce stress. Volunteering in social work and performing some acts like showing kindness to others may help to reduce sadness and improve mood.
These coping methods may not be of help in the case of depression. But these surely help in dealing with feeling blue situations.
Conclusion:
Feeling blue means feeling sadness, but it is not depression. Hence it is important to know about feeling blue, the differences between feeling blue and depression, and how to deal with this condition. Knowing helps one to identify the symptoms early and seek the help of a healthcare provider. Early diagnosis gives effective treatment. This, in turn, gives help achieve a good quality of life.
