How Sadness Can Actually Make You Happy

Get In Touch With Your Emotional Side

It seems counterintuitive, but sadness can lead to happiness. If you want to thrive this week, consider getting in touch with your emotional side.

To be clear, sadness does not always lead to happiness. Sometimes, you are just sad. Still, scientists have confirmed that sad mediums, such as music and movies, can lead to happiness. One such study from 2012 confirmed this by measuring the flux of emotions people experienced when watching a sad movie.

The researchers concluded that  when we watch sad movies, we tend to compare our lives to the ones depicted onscreen. Because most of us have better situations than the people in fiction, we leave the movie feeling better about our own lives.

Although, if you are a person who has an especially difficult life, sad movies may do you little solace. In those cases, it’s wise to seek out professional counseling. Still, sad movies can serve as a healthy outlet for recognizing what we take for granted in our lives.

In addition to movies, you can also rely on sad music to increase happiness. A study done in Tokyo acknowledges this, explaining how sadness derived from “art” is different from that of an event. In other words, sadness depicted in music (and movies) can trigger pleasure, while sadness from a situation that is happening to us may lead to more sadness.

Today, consider increasing your happiness by watching a sad movie or listening to a sad song. Here are some examples you may find useful:

Movies

1. Schindler’s List
2. Forrest Gump
3. Million Dollar Baby
4. Atonement
5. Titanic
6. Philadelphia
7. The Notebook
8. Saving Private Ryan
9. Up
10. The Pursuit of Happiness

Songs

1. Fix You – Coldplay
2. The Winner Takes it All – ABBA
3. Creep – Radiohead
4. Time to Pretend – MGMT
5. Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
6. My Heart Will Go On – Celine Dion
7. Someone Like You – Adele
8. I Miss You – Blink 182
9. Even if I Don’t – Rachael Yamagata
10. Whistle for the Choir – The Fratellis

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