Basic emotion
Sadness
Sadness comes when we lose something: a person, a hope, the life we were used to. It slows us down, turns attention inward and helps us live through the loss, and it signals to others that we need support. If sadness lasts for weeks and takes the joy out of everything, it is worth seeing a specialist.
From mild to intense
Pensiveness
MildWhat it signals
A quiet contemplative state. Important thoughts and meanings often come to life here.
What to do with it
Don't fill pensiveness with scrolling. Pick up a notebook and write what comes, with no aim to make it pretty. Pensiveness is a draft for the soul.
Sadness
BaseWhat it signals
It speaks of the value of what left or didn't happen. Protects you from being shallow about what matters.
What to do with it
Don't drown sadness in entertainment right away. Give it 15 minutes a day: sit, stay quiet, listen to soft music. Often that's enough for it not to accumulate.
Grief
IntenseWhat it signals
The response to a meaningful loss: a person, a role, a chapter of life, a version of yourself. One of the most honest emotions.
What to do with it
Grief isn't solved, it's lived. Don't rush yourself and don't believe the timelines of “this should have passed by now.” You need tears, the body, the attention of loved ones or a therapist.
The opposite emotion
Across the wheel stands joy. Opposite feelings are hard to feel at the same time, and one often helps make sense of the other.