Sadness can be beneficial to your business! Find out how!

 

As humans we experience a wide range of feelings: some we categorise as positive, and some as negative. Whilst it may surprise you to hear this, I have learnt that there are no negative feelings: only some are more difficult to handle. If  sadness falls into that category for you, this article is for you.

 

We have been designed to both have feelings and to feel our feelings (even if sometime we would prefer not to).   Repressing feelings and pretending they aren’t there can have negative consequences to health and relationships.

 

Focusing on the benefits of sadness can help with the experiencing and processing of sadness.

 

Learning how to deal with difficult feelings is important in mastering the inner game. This is not only vital on a personal level, but will help you achieve business goals and objectives.

 

Here are 9 ways that feeling sad can be beneficial to you (in both your business in your life)

 

1. When you allow yourself to feel your feelings of sadness, you are allowing the emotion to be processed, and cleared through your system. This leads to feeling refreshed, energised and/or peaceful. This subsequently leads to clarity of thought and enhanced decision making. Do you ever wonder why you often feel better after crying? Research suggests crying cleans eyes, flushes out toxic chemicals from the body, reduces stress levels by releasing a natural pain killer hormone called adrenocorticotropic hormone.

 

2. Long term suppression of feelings of sadness over time can lead to erratic impulsive behaviour, addiction and depression.  Train yourself to tune into your feelings regularly. They are valuable sources of information. Sadness tells you more about what you care about, what you are moved by, and what matters. Strong feelings of sadness can tell you where you are moved to direct your charitable activities.

 

3. If you feel sad, go with it. You don’t always need to know the reason why. Something happening today may be triggering a past experience from way back that needs attention and “healing”. Be weary of a voice that might judge you for feeling sad or tell you “You should be stronger. Don’t show your vulnerability”.

 

4. As a business leader, showing your vulnerability shows your authenticity and your humanity. Business leaders who do so enjoy real and enhanced relationships with their peers and colleagues.

 

5. The more you show your authenticity, the more you encourage others around you to share theirs. People are at their best when they are allowed and encouraged to be who they are.

 

6. Authenticity builds trust. Trust builds business relationships. The better the business relationship, the more business that tends to flow from that.

 

7. Showing sadness and vulnerability is a sign of strength and courage (not a sign of weakness as it is sometimes made out to be)

 

8. Feeling sadness demonstrates sensitivity, compassion and empathy.  These are wonderful relationships building skills to have.  Great business relationships are the foundation of great businesses.

 

9. Sadness has been proven to stimulate creativity according to a scientific study carried out by Modupe Akinola, a professor at Columbia Business School.

 

Feeling sadness (and moving through it) is not the same as depression. Depression is well documented on line. If you feel depressed, you may be wise to seek out professional help.

 

How do you deal with sadness?  Which ways do you find most successful for you?