BEATING THE BACK-TO-WORK BLUES.

This is January, ladies and gentlemen, and it’s bleak. Here are a few simple ways to help smooth the road to spring.

1.

Book your summer holiday

Research has found that anticipation of an event, such as your next holiday, actually evokes more positive emotions than remembering your last one. Looking forward to events makes us happier than buying material goods.

2.

Take a cold shower

One clinical trial suggested that a short cold shower two to three times a week could have antidepressant

effects. Exposure to cold is known to activate the sympathetic nervous system and increase levels of the brain’s upbeat chemicals such as beta-endorphins and noradrenaline. Cold has a pain reduction effect, too.

3.

Be neutral about your body

With the rise of body positivity and love-my-fat influencers, personal trainer and influencer Tally Rye has had a turnaround. “A client once said to me ‘Why do I have

to love my body? Why can’t I just feel neutral about it?’” Could 2020 be the year we focus less on the look of our bodies and more on actually doing things with them?

4.

Do the 3:1 happiness trick

The Positivity Ratio suggests that if we had three positive emotions for every one negative emotion, we could increase our overall daily happiness. If you’re annoyed about something, shelve it for 10 minutes and

think about three positive things instead.

5.

Learn the art of the power break

You might think you can keep working, shopping, cooking or cleaning for hours on end but, for (your ultradian cycle) to function at its best, you need a break every 90 minutes. Try 5555 breathing — taking five breaths made up of five counts in and five counts out, for five minutes, five times a day.