I had a day this week when I simply couldn’t shake the blues. After all my study of emotion and the Emotional System, you’d think I could figure that out. But no matter what I did–and I tried to process my way through it every way I know how–the feeling persisted. Like most people, I was still able to do what I had to do that day, albeit with less enthusiasm than usual.

Sometimes that happens. I did the best thing I could, which was to wait it out. I didn’t compound my misery by feeling bad about feeling bad. I probably sighed a lot, then went about my business and hoped I’d feel better the next day.

I did not call it depression, since it was temporary. Depression is a clinical state that lasts at least a few weeks and has a variety of symptoms. People frequently say “I’m depressed” when they have the blues, a conclusion that can be scary and might even make it worse.

We live in a time when we often want to fix everything that’s wrong. And commercial interests are only too happy to sell us cures for almost anything. Sometimes we get the blues. It doesn’t mean anything is wrong as long as is doesn’t last.

When you get the blues, take it easy on yourself. Find people or activities you enjoy to wait it out with. Those feelings that just happen from time to time are  one of the mysteries of life and part of being human.