Birthday Blues: What’s the Cause and 3 Ways How You Can Cope

Written by: Alliah Rayne Mingcay | 3 months ago

Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash

Birthdays come once a year; therefore, people are supposed to make the most of them. Different people celebrate it in different ways. Some throw a party, cook for family or friends, others go somewhere, or maybe just be with their loved ones. It is a day where it is considered "your" day, so everything feels special. Some people view it as a chance to “splurge” and look at the positive side of life throughout your day.

However, there’s a side about birthdays that is often not talked about. Some people still feel sad or disengaged, despite the happenings on their birthday.

Birthday blues can affect anyone. It can be felt at any time of the day. A person can be having fun and still be sad; somebody can just be relaxing in your home and still feel drained. There will be mood shifts throughout the day, and it is often uncontrollable.

According to Mandriota (2022), "birthday blues" are usually associated with underlying medical health disorders. The following could be the reasons why people feel this way:

Depression
Anxiety
Emotions triggered by past events; and
Fear of getting old

Birthday blues are totally valid, it’s okay to be sad and disengaged during the time of your day. It’s okay to separate yourself if you feel your surroundings are affecting you too much; it’s okay to sleep and take a rest if you’re disconnected from everyone.

Even so, here are 3 ways one can feel better and at least manage birthday blues:

Put a "kick" in your usual routine. A person can improve their mood by doing the things they’re comfortable doing. It helps them feel relaxed, as they’re in control of what’s happening. Doing your usual routines may make you happy, but adding a little bit of spice can make you feel much better. If you like drinking coffee every morning and you usually make it, try to treat yourself to a cup in a coffee shop instead. If you often buy yourself a meal at a fast food restaurant, try buying your favorite meal at a different restaurant.
Do the things that make you happy. Nothing beats doing the things that make you happy. Do your hobbies. Treat yourself by supporting your hobbies. If you like drawing and the arts, you can go to a museum near you or buy art materials. If you like reading books, you can go to a library or buy books from a bookstore.
Let your emotions flow. Oftentimes, no matter what we do, we just feel sadness instead and the intense emotion of doing nothing. Allow yourself to feel sad and grieve. Don’t ignore your feelings. Cry if you want. Pushing yourself can cause more harm.

Birthday blues are normal for everybody. Everyone has their own ways of dealing with it. Still, whether it's your day or not, treat yourself occasionally and always do things that make you happy. If you can feel that your birthday blues are more than that, it’s better to get checked or seek medical attention, as there could be more reasons why you experience it.

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