Inside: Sad Birthday Quotes + Ways to Conquer the Birthday Blues.

Ah, birthdays. From your dentist to your boss to your Facebook friends, everyone wishes you a happy one. Plenty of people go all out for their birthdays, staging elaborate parties even as adults, milking each birthday for all it’s worth.

For some people, though, birthdays are a source of ambivalence, anxiety, or depression. But they’re unavoidable, coming once a year whether we like it or not.

Help combat that sad birthday status with a positive message, helpful act, or an understanding view. Start with these sad birthday quotes, that share a little joy. Plus we have some great ideas to help conquer the birthday blues. 

Sad Birthday Quote

Birthday Wishes During a Sad Time

These sad birthday quotes are perfect to share during a sad time. 

1. Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.

Sad Birthday Quotes About Friends

2. Your age isn’t you. Use today to feel your best, celebrate and be your very happiest.

3. A birthday is not a day to fear. It is a day to celebrate and look forward to the coming year.

4. On your birthday, I just want to remind you that you are the best person I have ever met in my whole life.

5. Happy birthday! I hope all your birthday wishes and dreams come true.

Don't Be Sad Birthday Messages

6. May the joy that you have spread in the past come back to you on this day. Wishing you a very happy birthday!

7. Count not the candles…see the lights they give. Count not the years, but the life you live. Wishing you a wonderful time ahead. Happy birthday.

8. Birthdays are a new start, a fresh beginning and a time to pursue new endeavors with new goals. Move forward with confidence and courage. You are a very special person.

9. May you be gifted with life’s biggest joys and never-ending bliss. After all, you yourself are a gift to earth, so you deserve the best. Happy birthday.

10. Be happy! Today is the day you were brought into this world to be a blessing and inspiration to the people around you! You are a wonderful person!

11. Forget the past; look forward to the future, for the best things are yet to come.

Sadness Birthday Sayings

Tips to Beat the Sad Birthday Feelings

Besides sending these no so sad birthday quotes, here are a few ways to beat those birthday blues. 

Start the day right: Trying to think positively right from the outset is a good place to start. Doing so will ensure a person is in a good frame of mind to enjoy the rest of their day. It may be helpful to start each birthday by listing things to be grateful for in life. Making a special breakfast and doing something to start the day happily are other suggestions, be that watching a movie in bed or going for an early morning run. If someone has to go to work on their birthday, they can consider treating themselves to a beverage or other favorite treat on the way, to add a little variety to their day.

Find the best way to celebrate: Birthdays are days where it is acceptable to be a bit selfish. If someone loves extravagant celebrations, then they should try to have that sort of a day. If they prefer quality time with family, then they could make arrangements, so that happens instead.

Don’t over plan: Too many plans can be stressful and put additional pressure on the birthday. If birthday blues are an issue, a person can try to keep things simple and easy to lower the risk of anything going wrong.

Manage expectations: Being realistic about what to expect from a birthday will help to avoid disappointment. This may be especially true if it involves receiving phone calls from family members with whom a person may have a less than stellar relationship.

Keep busy: If the birthday blues threaten to have a negative impact on someone, it may be better to avoid the day altogether. Keeping busy and distracted will ensure that the day passes quickly and can be easily forgotten so a person can move on with their life.

Stay positive: Instead of mourning a lack of achievement and beating oneself up, it is far more beneficial to focus on what has been accomplished in preceding years. By doing so, a person is more likely to lift themselves out of the birthday blues and remember what makes them proud.

Tell people: If people are likely to forget about someone’s birthday, then there is no harm in reminding them before the day. There is nothing wrong with alerting family and friends so that they remember to make a fuss of someone when their birthday arrives.

Set a ‘sadness’ time limit: It is OK to be sad sometimes, but wallowing in sadness all day is unhelpful for anyone struggling with negative emotions.

Don’t rely on others: Being too reliant on other people for happiness is never advisable. A person should make exciting plans for themselves if there is a chance no one will remember their birthday. There is nothing more positive than remembering to look after and love oneself, after all.

Be comfortable with grief: Sometimes it is important to grieve for the things that have been lost, whether that is sad things that have happened in life or just the passing of time. It is healthful to allow time to grieve and make peace with these facts rather than fight against them.

Turn the sadness into a learning experience: Some studies have shown the positives associated with getting older.

One study, which observed adults between the ages of 21 and 100 years old, discovered that there is an improvement in self-reported mental health by those who are older. Another study showed that younger people tend to be more neurotic than older people.

Do something special: However much a person hates or dreads their birthday, they can make it better if they plan something for that day that cannot fail to bring them excitement.

Cheer Up Birthday Messages

These not so sad birthday quotes are a perfect reminder to enjoy your special day. 

12. Hope all your birthday wishes come true!

13. It’s your special day — get out there and celebrate!

14. Wishing you the biggest slice of happiness today.

Cheer Up Happy Birthday

15. I hope your celebration gives you many happy memories!

16. Our age is merely the number of years the world has been enjoying us!

17. Enjoy your special day.

18. Have the best birthday ever!

Best Birthday Sayings

19. Wherever the year ahead takes you, I hope it’s happy.

20. The day is all yours — have fun!

21. Happy birthday to my ride or die. Love you bunches!

22. Thinking of you on your birthday and wishing you everything happy.

23. Best wishes on your birthday – may you have many, many more

Celebration Messages For Birthday Sadness

24. Cheers to you for another trip around the sun!

25. Today is about you. I can’t wait to celebrate with you all day long!

More Birthday Messages You’ll Love to Share

If you like these sad birthday quotes then check out a few more of our birthday favorites. 

  • Birthday Quotes for Instagram – Wishing someone Happy Birthday on Facebook use to make it official, but with these Birthday Quotes for Instagram, the new standard to B-Day wishes just got raised! Trust us! What better way to say “Happy Birthday” than the perfect quote?
  • 30th Birthday Quotes – These 30th Birthday Quotes are curated to help make you, or someone you love feels special. Like any special day, it’s important that we celebrate it with the appropriate amount of humor and sarcasm. Nothing makes someone feel more special than passive-aggressively wishing them happiness while poking fun at their age. So celebrate someone special with one of these 30th Birthday Quotes.
  • Swoon-Worthy Birthday Quotes for Wife – Your wife is one of the most amazing people you know. She is your standard of beauty, and your forever “yes.” Yet sometimes we struggle to find the right words to tell her how wonderful she is on her birthday. That’s why we put together these “Birthday Quotes for Wife” to help you find the perfect way to say Happy Birthday to her.
  • Funny 21st Birthday Quotes – Ah, the 21st Birthday. That wonderful time when we thought the world revolved around us and we celebrated like acting like we were indestructible. We commend all the people who are able to remember their 21st birthday and salute those who cannot.

Sad Birthday Quotes Sayings