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Low Mood: Just The Facts

The experience of feeling low in mood will differ from person to person.

It can therefore be helpful to identify the triggers and life events that may have led to you feeling this way. This will help you to learn ways to look after your emotional and physical health, which in turn could enable you to become more resilient and move through life’s challenges with more confidence.

To understand your low mood so that you can take steps to manage it, ask yourself three questions:

  • What is it that I’m feeling? (Angry/tired/irritable/hungry/tearful?)
  • Why am I feeling this? (What has happened? Has there been a trigger?)
  • What would I like to do that I can’t at the moment? (What would I like to be different?)

No event or trigger is trivial to the person experiencing it, so don’t minimise your feelings around this. It’s really important that you try to learn to manage and overcome difficulties.

Teenage boy wearing grey hoodie looking fed up

Triggers to experiencing low mood will vary for person to person, but could include:

  • Exam stress
  • Friendship problems
  • Family difficulties
  • Changing schools
  • Health problems

Feeling low doesn’t just impact your thoughts and feelings, but may also affect your day to day life. For example, the following things might be affected:

  • Sleeping
  • Eating and drinking
  • Education (your ability to learn at school or college)
  • Relationships with other people
  • How you communicate or talk to others
  • Concentration
  • Motivation and energy levels

People who experience low mood may often focus on the negative thoughts and feelings that they are experiencing, rather than what could be done to help improve their situation. This can lead to getting stuck in a spiral of negative thoughts.

We have lots of advice, practical tips and information to help you if you’re struggling with low mood:

How to get help

If you have any more questions on this area or would like to speak to somebody about this topic, have a look at the links or search for your local services in the blue box below. Alternatively you can always contact your school nurse.

Cross Hatch

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Find out what services are available to you in your area. Remember your school nurse is always there to give you confidential help and support.

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