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It started with a sniffle. Now you’re in the throes of a cold or the flu and, adding insult to injury, you feel inexplicably sad.
How do you know if it’s regular sickness blues or something more serious, and what can you do to cope?
Why does being sick make you sad?
There are many things about being sick that can affect your mood: annoying physical symptoms like a fever or runny nose; difficulty sleeping and getting enough quality rest; and lingering symptoms like a cough.
“Sickness is a taxing experience on the body, so it can be common to feel sad when you are sick,” says Brian Lam, DO, a primary care physician at UW Medicine Primary Care at Federal Way.
Disruption to your routine and favorite activities can also give you FOMO while you spend all that extra time spent on the couch, Lam says.
You may feel sad when you’re sick because what is happening to your body can also negatively affect your mood. In fact, several of the symptoms of a cold — such as fatigue, brain fog and loss of appetite — can mimic symptoms of depression, so it makes sense that experiencing these can cause you to feel down.
Unlike depression, sickness blues fade in a couple days when you start to recover from your cold. But that doesn’t mean they’re any fun in the meantime. So, what can you do to cope?
Ways to improve your mood when you’re sick
Feeling sad when you’re sick is difficult because you may not have the energy to use your usual coping strategies to lift your spirits. If you’re feeling down or stuck, Lam recommends:
Gentle movement. If you’re feeling up to it, light exercise like yoga, stretching, tai chi or a short walk can help circulate your blood and lymph fluid, as well as potentially release endorphins that can improve mood. Use the 50% rule: Only do half of what you feel like you’re capable of to prevent overexertion.
Deep breathing. This breathing technique improves mental health by activating your parasympathetic nervous system, which calms your body down and makes you feel more relaxed.
Sun exposure. Sunlight can trigger your brain to release serotonin, a hormone that acts as a natural antidepressant. Going on a walk, sitting by or opening a window, or using a light-therapy lamp can give you a boost.
Journaling. The benefits here are twofold: writing what you’re grateful for or noting what you’re feeling is a way to practice mindfulness, plus having a log of your thoughts and feelings helps you recount any symptoms with your doctor.
Simple activities. Listening to music or reading an easy-to-follow book can be helpful ways to keep your mind busy without overtiring it. And, of course, it’s OK to watch a movie on the couch, but try to limit screen time before bed so it’s not disrupting your sleep further.
Socializing (safely). Connecting with loved ones provides crucial social support. If you can’t see others in person due to your illness, talking on the phone or texting can help you maintain that sense of connection.
What if you still feel sad after recovering from being sick?
While feelings of sadness typically ease as you begin to recover, in some cases they can persist in what’s called post-viral syndrome.
Post-viral syndrome, including post-viral depression, is a constellation of health problems that continue after you’ve recovered from a virus, such as the flu or COVID-19. (When people develop it after COVID-19 infection, it’s often called long COVID.) Symptoms can range from headaches and pain to trouble concentrating and fatigue, as well as ongoing mental health concerns like depression.
Researchers are still discovering what causes post-viral syndrome and post-viral depression, but Lam notes that current research indicates that these symptoms are caused by an overactive immune system response that results in inflammation.
In simplified terms, doctors hypothesize that what is happening in your body goes something like this: After infection, your immune system continues to produce inflammatory molecules called cytokines.
Cytokines help fight infection, but they also cause fever, fatigue and general discomfort. If they persist, you can still feel ill even after your infection has cleared.
“Although this is part of the body’s response to an infection, it is also thought to contribute to neuroinflammation. In turn, this can affect the release of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and glutamate, among others,” Lam says. “Similar chemical imbalances are implicated in major depressive disorder and other issues pertaining to mental health, which suggests that there is a direct relationship between illness and mood.”
While it’s rare to experience post-viral syndrome after a cold, it can happen, and it’s important to talk to your doctor if you’re experiencing a low mood for two weeks or longer after you’ve recovered — it could be post-viral syndrome, or it could be something else.
The bottom line
Feeling sad when you’re sick is a normal response to feeling unwell, so try to be gentle with yourself and practice some self-care when you’re under the weather. As you recover from your cold, you should start to feel better and more like yourself: physically, emotionally and mentally.
“It is normal to feel down when you are sick, and it is also normal to want to start feeling better right away,” says Lam. “Remember that healing is a process that takes time and that allowing your body a proper period of recovery can go a long way.”
This article was originally published April 4, 2022. It has been reviewed and updated with new info. McKenna Princing contributed to this article.
