5 ways to beat the Blue Monday blues
The third Monday of January has been bestowed the name Blue Monday, as it is said to be the doomiest and most depressing day of the year. Despite discussion that this title was in fact only given as part of a PR stunt, we know first hand that January can feel like it’s never going end... the Christmas blues, the long dark days, the freezing cold nights and the pressure of sticking to your new year’s resolutions. That’s why we are honouring the title and have come up with 5 simple ways that you can beat the wintery Blue Monday blues and pick yourself up this January.
1. Jump up and make your bed!
You won’t really feel any better after that 5-minute snooze! Getting up and making your bed straight away can give you a feeling of accomplishment, and although it may seem like too small of an action to have a big impact, it can give you an immediate sense of accomplishment. You will feel organized and ready to take on the new day. And of course, it makes it extra enjoyable to get back in bed in the evening!
2. Do some yoga
Now, don’t be afraid of this step if you have never done yoga before – yoga is for everyone! By taking some time to check in with your body, notice where you’re holding any unnecessary tension and bring your consciousness to it, you’re able to breathe through it and release some of that tension. It can also warm up your digestive system, help nutrients move more easily through the body and awaken our bellies, easing any morning aches and pains.
Here a how-to video for the Sun Salutation – a wonderful way to get the day started:
https://www.yogajournal.com/videos/salute-the-sun
3. Reaffirm your goals by writing them down
We know in January it can feel like the goals that you so readily made at the beginning of the month are constantly looming over you, but writing your goals down has been proven to help you achieve them. This works in two ways: by having your goal in a location that is very easily accessible, such as your diary, you can review it at any time and have a visual cue. The second way is through encoding – this happens when what we perceive travels to our brain’s hippocampus to be analysed. Here, the decisions are made about what we should store in our long-term memory and what should not. Writing improves this encoding process, making it much more likely that you will remember it!
4. Go for a walk
If you can walk to work to work this Monday morning, and if you can’t, go for a short walk on your lunch break. Exercise is brilliant for boosting your mood and getting your blood flowing! And it can be very invigorating and uplifting to get out in the fresh air rather than staying inside your stuffy office building all day. Bonus blues busting points for getting out and walking in nature!
5. Write down a gratitude list
Now, this can be hard at first… You may start off by thinking you have NOTHING to celebrate and be grateful for, but you don’t need to dig very deep before you start to notice that no matter how many bad things are going on in your life, there is ALWAYS something that you can find to be grateful for. Just start small.
- Clean water to drink
- Having a phone keep in touch with friends and family
- Taking time to look after myself
And if these 5 steps aren't quite enough to lift you out of your January gloom... there's always retail therapy!
Our sale is still on so cheer yourself up with some Blue Monday bargains!
