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Beat Blue Monday
Blog: The saddest day of the year will breeze by with these tips on how to beat the blues!
SpunOut.ie is today – "the saddest day of the year" – calling on everyone to rally together and beat what researchers are calling 'Blue Monday'.
The third Monday of January, experts say (Find out more here), is the unhappiest day of the year due to terrible weather, unpaid Christmas bills and failed New Year's resolutions. Perhaps this year it is especially miserable with news of continuing job losses and economic woes.
Beat Blue Monday:
- Tune out the news.
- Do one thing at a time.
- Say yes to everything offered to you for one day (like the yes man!).
- Just play - be silly.
- Turn off your phone for a day - have some YOU time.
- Listen to reggae or your favourite happy music and jump around.
- Carry your radio on your shoulder whilst walking to the shop and sing along and dance about... look like an eejit - who cares?!
- Check out other young people’s chill out tips here.
- Have a laugh - every minute or every hour of the day! Check out this link, get giggling and you’ll soon turn Blue Monday into Groovy Monday for everyone who meets you!
Get support during tough times:
We all need to take control of our lives during these tough times. SpunOut.ie’s Susan Quirke spoke out about Blue Monday and said: "We must try to do everything in our power to beat the blues. It can be tough going during these dark days and with all the recent bad news and bad weather it's natural that people might be feeling a bit down. However, it's the time of year for resting up, doing a bit of hibernating and trying to recover from the Christmas festivities. Instead of being hard on ourselves we can beat the blues by taking a few simple steps."
- Go easy on yourself – Life can be hectic and we expect a lot from ourselves and our families. It's time to stop, take stock and take control of how we are living our lives.
- We can take control of our problems by taking a positive outlook and tackling them head on and also by sharing what we are going through with family and friends, by talking to someone or by visiting a GP or support service if things are really bad. (List of services at www.SpunOut.ie/help).
- We can take control of our finances by spending less and planning properly for the year ahead. Talk to the Money and Budgeting Advice Service for help if needed.
- We can take control of our diet, which has a huge impact on how we feel, by trying to eat more fruit and veg and less processed sugary foods which can cause us to feel low.
- We can feel better by really connecting with our families and friends. Now that money is tight, it's a great opportunity to have friends around for simple dinners and fun in our homes.
- We can also feel better by getting more sleep. Sleep is healing for the body and mind especially at this time of the year so try to get to bed at a good time.
- Taking more exercise, even light walks, getting away from the telly, into nature and the fresh air can make us feel great and sleep better too.
- We can refresh those New Year's resolutions in preparation for February 1st, which is the traditional first day of Spring, and keep focused on having a positive, healthy and happy year ahead.
- Finally, let us know what you’ve been doing to beat Blue Monday! Share your tips, jokes, and good vibe music suggestions in the SpunOut.ie forum.
It's time to take good care of ourselves and each other and blast off the January blues.
