Downcast is an adjective used to describe an individual who is very worried, sad or distressed . The term is linked to the posture that people adopt in this type of situation, with their heads bowed .
For example: “What's happening to you? For several days I have noticed that you are crestfallen” , “The boy, crestfallen, admitted that he had not passed the exam” , “When they fired me I was crestfallen for a while, but then I understood that I had to recover to get a new job” .
The etymology
To know the meaning of the term precisely, we must discover its etymological origin. It is a word that has been formed from the sum of two words of Latin origin:
- Head , which derives from the Vulgar Latin capitia , in turn from caput .
- Low , which comes from the adjective bassus .
Examples of crestfallen
A subject can be crestfallen for multiple reasons. Suppose that a man does not have enough money to meet his financial obligations. This worry leads him to be crestfallen since he does not know how to solve the problem.
A woman who argues with her son may also remain crestfallen for a while, questioning whether she acted correctly. Due to the love he feels for his descendant, the existence of the conflict causes him distress .
A footballer whose team suffers a tough defeat; a mayor who must resign from office due to a social crisis ; a child who finds out that his parents are getting divorced; a doctor who fails to save a patient; and a lawyer who loses an important case are other individuals who may be crestfallen.
How to encourage positivity
When a person is downcast due to one of the reasons mentioned or any other, it is important that they do their part to end that sadness and see things positively, recovering joy. Among the suggestions that can be taken into account to achieve this we can mention the following:
- Eating something sweet like chocolate is already considered to increase the secretion of the “happiness hormone.”
- Listen to upbeat music that you like.
- Read positive phrases.
- Meet with a loved one with whom you can talk or simply go out for a walk or have a drink.
- Watch a movie or television series that is funny and makes you laugh.
- Perform exercise.
In addition to all of the above, it is established that the person who is crestfallen must avoid exciting drinks and must follow a healthy and balanced diet.
Raise your head so as not to be crestfallen
When a person recovers from a bad moment, it is often said that he “raised his head.” This phrase can be linked to the fact that she is no longer crestfallen.
Recovery can even be noticed on a physical level if the subject stops remaining with the head tilted downward.