Welcome to Life Noggin!

There are a lot of things going on in the world right now that can be making you feel sad: everything from being unable to see friends and family, to the disruption of your routine, to worries about your health, finances, and education.

Any one of these is enough to put you in a funk and it's completely normal to feel that way, but I wanted you to know that there are things you can do to feel better, and also, I brought in my friend and licensed therapist Kati Morton to help me with this video!

Hey Blocko, Nice Tattoo.

Is that new?

It is! Thank you for noticing!

It says "Keep on Thinking!"

Blocko, that says "Thonking", not "Thinking".

Well, I'm gonna go count to 100 in the other room for a second, and uh, Kati, why don't you tell them what they should do to start feeling less sad?

The first step is figuring out why you are sad.

If you need some help determining the cause, try writing about your feelings or talking to someone.

You may end up identifying a way to fix whatever is causing your sadness, but even just exploring your feelings can help you feel better.

Then just be sad.

Sadness can actually be a useful emotion.

In a series of experiments, a professor of psychology at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia found that sadness can improve your memory of details, interactions with other people, and your motivation, as well as reduce your judgmental biases of others.

So, take some time to cry or feel upset.

Let yourself be sad for a little bit, you may end up feeling better afterwards.

I just cried because my back says "Keep On Thonking" and you know, now I feel better.

But if not, there are ways to cheer yourself up.

You could pamper yourself with a bath or good food, watch a funny movie or your favorite YouTuber...ahem, haha, okay fine, your second favorite YouTuber, right?

Just say yes, or you can focus on the positive things going on in your life!

It may be hard at first to change how you deal with sadness.

A lot of people find it difficult to start doing new things, especially ones that are good for you.

Yeah. Triangle Bob was supposed to find an apartment and give Circlia and I some privacy about 6 months ago, but, ya know, he'll get there eventually.

Reasons why it's hard to make good changes can vary depending on the situation.

Maybe your motivation is rooted in fear or regret of what will happen if you don't make the change.

Experts say that this is the least effective way to make long-lasting changes.

Instead, your motivation should come from positive-thinking.

Your goals could also be too broad or you may have too many of them, making them difficult to reach.

It helps to have a few specific goals and an idea of the small steps it will take to reach them.

For example, your goal for whenever you feel sad could be to write in your journal about your feelings before watching your favorite movie in bed.

It's important to remember that sadness is temporary, and we all feel sad every once in a while.

But if you have been feeling this way for more than two weeks and it's significantly impacting your life, you should speak to a doctor to see if you are experiencing depression.

The symptoms of depression are serious, but if you recognize the signs and seek help, your doctor can help find the best treatment for you.

There is no "one size fits all" for this, so make sure you're getting the help that YOU need.

I don't want you to give up hope.

You are great.

You have the strength to be better, and if you're sad right now, I hope that you feel better soon.

So, how are you feeling?

How are you dealing with all of the stress right now?

If you're comfortable with sharing, let us know your experiences in the comment section below, and maybe people will feel a little less alone.

Thank you so much for watching!

Please go check out Kati's channel where she talks about all things mental health and makes really helpful videos.

If you're dealing with something, she's probably covered it.

As always, my name is Blocko, this has been Life Noggin, don't forget to "Keep on Thinking."

Don't you mean "thonking"?

Alright Kati.

See you next time!