Doodling or drawing in your notebook can also help distract you from your sad feelings. [2] X Expert Source Katie StyzekProfessional School Counselor Expert Interview. 28 October 2020.
To gain distance, try imagining yourself as an outsider viewing the situation that is making you sad. You can also try referring to yourself in the third person when you think about your situation. [5] X Research source
To be mindful, pay full attention to your bodily sensations, all the information coming in through your senses, and your thoughts about those perceptions and sensations.
If you have a pencil handy, try putting it in your mouth and biting it with your teeth. This will raise your cheeks and facilitate your smile.
For example, you could try thinking about something hilarious you saw on the internet or something nice that your significant other did for you. To think differently about what is making you sad, consider this example. Say you are sad because you received a bad grade on an exam, and that you are upset because you think it means you are not smart. Try instead thinking about your bad grade as a challenge that you can surmount on the next exam by studying harder.
For example, to keep the conversation light, you could say that it is super annoying to have allergies that make you look like a puffer fish.
Keep in mind that whatever you do, don’t lie and say that you got something dangerous in your eye, like a chemical. If you do this your teacher may rush you to the nurse, which is a waste of everyone’s time. You will also cause people to needlessly worry and you may have to come clean about lying, which could get you into trouble.
Tell them a funny joke that you know or a funny situation that you encountered in the past to make it more convincing. Who knows, by recalling this funny situation, you may even cheer yourself up!
Only do this if your teacher won’t get upset; she may call on you and draw the attention of the whole class on you.
If it is not possible to avoid talking, try talking in a lower tone of voice than you normally do and speak extra forcefully. Because you are sad you will probably sound more normal even though you think you are talking extra loud and deep.
Try to turn away from others when you pretend to blow your nose; they will probably think you are just being polite being by not blowing your nose in their directions.
If you know that you are prone to crying, consider packing some tissues in your bag for when you need them. Or, if you don’t have a bag on you, put a few tissues in your pocket.
If you are at lunch or recess, move away from others. Try making an excuse by saying something about how you need to clear your thoughts or how you want to run around on your own.
If you are at lunch or recess, by moving away from others you will be less likely to be heard or seen crying.
If you are at lunch or recess, look around and make sure no one is too close by, then let it all out. Holding in your emotions can sometimes have negative consequences for your health, so consider letting out your feelings when you feel comfortable doing so.
If you can without being seen, try speeding up the process by running cold water over your face. If your face is still red and/or puffy when you head back to class, try placing your hand in front of your face and scratching the top of your forehead as you walk back into class and take your seat. This way you will cover up most of your face and it will just look like you had an itch. When you enter the classroom, you can also do a fake yawn, which will scrunch up your face and help to hide that you were crying. You can try this alone or in combination with scratching your head. To wait around while at lunch or recess, do your best to stay as far away from your classmates as you can.
If you are sitting on the leftmost side of the classroom, you can rest your right hand on your face, or if on the rightmost side, your left hand. Be careful to not look like you are falling asleep when you do this otherwise your teacher may call on you and put unwanted attention on you.
