With modern technology and smart phones, it's easy to look busy at all times. When you put away your phone or sit somewhere feeling idle, you may be more connected to your actual thoughts and emotions. This can be at first unsettling, but it's actually a good thing. Try activities that help you stay in tune with your feelings so that you can have more control over them.Consider doing meditation regularly. Even twenty minutes of meditation can help to clear your thoughts and feel more at peace.
Write in a journal about what you're thinking or feeling. This can help to provide clarity about a situation or feeling.
Try gentle yoga. This is a combination of stretching and mindfulness.
 While you may want to resist thinking about your sadness, loneliness, or grief, it's important to acknowledge that those feelings exist rather than deny them. Accept that feeling sad from time to time can be a part of life. It is a healthy response to things that may involve loss or grief. Talk with someone you trust about your feelings of sadness. Communicating with others who are supportive can provide reassurance and boost your mood.
Be present with your feelings. See them not as something that controls you, but rather a part of human existence.
Having self-awareness about what is making you sad can also help you to focus more on activities that may actually benefit you, rather than masking your feelings with activities that do little to boost your mood.
 Staying busy with activities that provide limited or no relief should be avoided. There are many ways that you can "pass the time," but you don't want to spend all your time doing things that make you feel bad or worse about yourself. Avoid these activities as a way to keep busy:


Watching TV night after night. Spending time on the couch with limited social interaction.
Mindless eating or snacking. Eating even when you're not hungry. Eating as a way to pass time.
Using alcohol or drugs to make you feel better. This could lead to an unhealthy dependence if you are careless.
 While being sad from time to time is normal, pay attention to how long and how persistent this sadness is occurring. If you are feeling constantly sad every day for more than two weeks, seek help from a trained professional. They can help you understand your situation with greater clarity and provide treatment options.Talk with a counselor about your feelings. There may be counselors or counseling centers in your area that take your insurance or provide assistance at low-cost. They can help you identify healthy ways to cope.
Talk with your doctor if your sadness is impacting you both emotionally and physically. A healthcare provider can provide appropriate referrals or prescribe medication.
Seek out support groups if there is a particular cause for your sadness, such as a recent death, divorce, loss, substance abuse issue, or other life event. Search online or in your community for support groups that may help you navigate these feelings.
If you have any thoughts regarding self-harm, reach out immediately to an emergency hotline. In the US, the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255.
Be more introspective.
Accept your feelings.
Avoid masking your sadness with mindless activities.
Seek professional advice for persistent sadness, grief, or depression.
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