Feeling low for weeks? What it can mean and what to do

Everyone feels low sometimes, and there is usually a reason. The NHS lists common ones: pressure at work, relationship problems, money worries, illness and losing someone. Some people feel low with no obvious cause at all.

A low mood often gets better after a few days or weeks. The NHS says that if it lasts two weeks or more, it could be a sign of depression. So a few weeks of feeling low is common, but it is also the point where it is worth paying closer attention.

Low mood does not always look like sadness. The NHS describes feeling sad, worried or panicky, tired, less confident, or frustrated, irritated or angry. Feeling low can also make you pull away from the people you love.

Two things help you tell the difference: how long it has lasted, and how much it is getting in the way. A low patch comes and goes, and you can still enjoy some things. Something more tends to stay most of the day, most days, and makes ordinary tasks feel heavy.

The NHS lists signs that low mood may have become depression: not enjoying life, feeling hopeless, finding it hard to concentrate, and thoughts of suicide or self-harm. If several of these sound familiar, read our guide to the signs of depression in women.

None of this tells you what is behind your feelings. Only a doctor can tell what's going on.

Sometimes the reason is not one big thing. It is several small ones adding up, or something in your body you cannot see. These are some everyday reasons women feel low.

Sleep. Poor sleep and low mood feed each other. The NHS notes that tiredness can have a bad effect on mood. If your mind won't switch off at night, our guide on why you can't sleep because of overthinking has a simple wind-down.

Carrying too much. Work, the home, children, elders, money and everyone else's appointments. Many women carry all of it and leave nothing for themselves. A load that never lifts can wear mood down slowly, so slowly you only notice it weeks later.

Your cycle. The NHS lists mood swings, feeling depressed or irritable, and feeling upset, anxious or emotional among the symptoms some women get in the weeks before their period. If your low weeks line up with your cycle, that pattern is useful to note.

Thyroid and iron. The NHS lists low mood and extreme tiredness among the symptoms of an underactive thyroid, and tiredness and lack of energy among the symptoms of iron deficiency anaemia. Heavy periods and pregnancy are very common causes of low iron. If you feel always tired as well as low, tell the doctor both.

Big changes. A loss, a move, a new job, a new baby, an illness in the family. Even good changes can leave you drained.

Feeling empty, numb or flat is one way low mood shows up. The World Health Organization describes the mood in depression as sad, irritable or empty, and the NHS lists feeling tearful among its signs.

Crying more easily can also come with stress, poor sleep or the days before a period. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists lists crying spells among the emotional symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. If the emptiness or tears are there most days for two weeks or more, talk to someone.

These ideas come from NHS self-help advice for low mood. They are small on purpose.

• Talk to one person you trust. A sister, a friend, a colleague. You don't need to explain everything; "I've been feeling low" is enough.
• Set small targets you can easily reach. One task done is better than ten planned. Don't try to fix everything at once.
• Move a little each day. A short walk after dinner counts. The NHS suggests doing little things every day to be more active.
• Eat regular meals. Low mood can make you skip meals or graze. Regular meals help keep your energy steady.
• Keep a sleep routine. Go to bed and get up at roughly the same time, and put your phone away before bed.
• Do one thing you used to enjoy. Make a list of small things that used to lift you, and do one each day, even if it feels flat at first.
• Go easy on alcohol, smoking and other quick fixes. The NHS advises against using them to cope.
• Try a few minutes of calm. Mindfulness or slow breathing can help some people feel steadier.

If you try these for a while and nothing shifts, that is not a failure. It is useful information, and a good reason to talk to someone.

• When the low feeling started, and whether it is there most days.
• What it feels like: sad, empty, tearful, irritable, numb, anxious.
• Sleep, appetite and energy: what has changed.
• Whether it follows your cycle, or started after a pregnancy, a loss or a big change.
• What you have tried, and whether it helped.
• Any thoughts of death or harming yourself. Say this out loud; it changes how quickly you get help.

Talk to someone if your low mood has lasted two weeks or more, if you are struggling to cope, or if the things you are doing are not helping. That is what the NHS advises too. You don't need to wait until it feels serious.

A Nari health counsellor can listen, help you put what you have noticed into words, and book you with a Nari doctor. The doctor can check for physical causes, such as the thyroid or low iron, and decide on any tests. Counsellors never give medical advice; medical decisions come from a Nari doctor.

Nari 1 is not an emergency service. If you are thinking of harming yourself, or you are in danger, call 112 now. For free mental health support at any hour, call Tele-MANAS on 14416 or 1-800-891-4416, a Government of India helpline.