If you say a character is "sad," you’ve given the reader a label. If you describe the character’s inability to wash the single coffee mug left in the sink, you’ve given them the feeling.
Most people avoid direct emotional confrontation in real life; your characters should too. The Emotional Craft of Fiction
Characters often talk about the weather or a trivial task when they are actually grieving or terrified. If you say a character is "sad," you’ve