This Monday, 20th January is officially Blue Monday. It is meant to be the most depressing day of the year. Hmmm. are we creating a day for people to subscribe too?
Now don’t get me wrong, January is a month where we are (in the UK anyway) in darkness for so much of the time, skint from the purchases made during the festive period and likely cutting back, cutting down or not drinking or eating various things. Spring and summer seem like a lifetime away. It is a long month and with the aforementioned list, I can understand why it is depressing.
However, I want you to do one thing, when you wake up on the 20th, see how you feel rather than let the date guide you. Feel your feels, and be guided by your inner self.
Let’s make this day a day for you to remember. Let’s make it a monumental day rather than a day where we should feel less than our normal self. For many of us, we will be working, so here are some suggestions:
Start your day differently from your normal morning routine, whether you get out of bed and go for a walk/run when you usually do nothing or alternate your route. Have a luxurious bath with the bath oil you got for Christmas and whilst inhaling the beautiful aromas read a book and relax in the hot water.
If you are always rushing around, make your favourite hot drink, whether a latte or hot chocolate (marshmallows optional) take 10 minutes or so to stop, drink and enjoy. Take your time, you may need to get up slightly earlier than normal, or if you are lucky enough to be able to flex your start time, then go in a bit later than usual. If you work from home, why not set your alarm about an hour or so earlier and put your favourite movie on whilst you are getting ready, giving you time to stop and watch when you want. Imagine watching Dirty Dancing first thing and singing along watching Patrick Swayze dance.
Think about the clothes you wear, if you have to wear a uniform or smart clothing and can’t really change it up, put on your best or brightest underwear to make yourself smile. Put your favourite clothes or shoes on, stop saving them for best, wear them and feel good.
How do you commute to work? What can you do differently? Whilst you might not be able to change the way you get to work, you could listen to a podcast instead of music, or read a book instead of listening to one. Working from home makes the commute even easier, so mix this up and go for a quick walk or why not battle it out with a nerf gun fight with your child or partner whilst you make your way to your desk.
Continuing on from your morning, let’s make your day good too. If you are at work, what can you do to bring some joy, happiness, peace and fun into your day? Think about your desk or work area, can you put some personal effects on there? Is it a mess? Clear the clutter out. What about your screensaver or background – can you personalise it and have something happy, delicious, fun to look at? If you can listen to music then change it up and put something on you wouldn’t normally listen too.
If you are talking to colleagues whilst you are making a cup of tea or coffee, let them in on what you are doing today. Ask them what they would do and see what they say.
If you habitually take a packed lunch to work, are you able to go out and about to buy your lunch? What is your favourite lunch to buy? Could you go out for lunch with a colleague, friends or family? Do you eat your lunch whilst you work? Stop right there and make it the day you do something different instead. Read a book, go for a swim, have a nerf gun fight at home, paint a picture, draw and colour in, make a sock puppet, write a letter, play football, skip, walk outside and try to identify plants, play a board game with your partner or colleague, learn a language, start that book you’ve always wanted to write. Have some fun and make it time for play.
At the end of your day, write a note and leave it on your desk to do something out of the norm the following day. Make it a daily occurrence, rather than once in a blue Monday.
Back home and your evening begins, time to cook dinner, order a takeaway or have a quick dinner of leftovers. Don’t do what you were going to do, well you can, but add something different to the meal, even if you are having a vegetable you wouldn’t normally have, make rice instead of pasta or cheese sauce instead of gravy. Why not drink a glass of Ribena or a milkshake. Shake things up! If you are ordering in, then opt for something you’ve always wanted to try.
Bedtime is approaching so what do you do? You may wish to have a bath, or do some relaxing yoga or meditation or maybe that is your usual thing, But what is something different you could do? Have some pet snuggle time? Read a book that isn’t your usual pick. If you have a spare room, sleep in that bed, or create a fort and sleep there! OOooo maybe I’ll do that! Make your bedtime different and enjoy the change.
There are so many options you can do to take your day from being ordinary to being extraordinary. Pick things throughout your day that will make you want to wake up tomorrow and do it all again.
Have a wonderful Monday, make it shine and don’t let the blue in!
Have a great week and look after you.
Love Emma xx
Wellbeing with Relaxing Lavender 