Coping mechanisms to get you through Blue Monday
Blue Monday is officially the most depressing day of the year but, with a little guidance and positive mindset, you can get through it.
The day we dread falls on January 18 this year.
The reason it’s called Blue Monday is that people’s New Year’s resolutions have fallen by the wayside and they are skint after splurging on Christmas festivities.
With this in mind, discount contact lens company Feel Good Contacts has partnered with psychologist Jan P de Jonge to offer ten tips to get you through this difficult day (and beyond) ...
Have a healthy relationship with the news
Whether you’re doomscrolling or glued to the anxiety-inducing 24-hour news channels, it is important that you consume news in a healthy way. Try to find a balance between being informed but not overwhelmed. Do this by limiting news consumption to set times during the day and preferably not when you should be relaxing.
See failure as a positive
If things haven’t worked out as expected, don’t see it as failure. Treat yourself with kindness and learn to accept that things go wrong from time to time. See the failure as a lesson for the future.
Recalibrate priorities
Are you working too many hours? Have you said “Yes” too often and too easily? Chances are you feel stressed and alienated from those close to you. Address this by recalibrating your priorities and review how much time you spend on each habitual activity.
Gratitude tracking for a positive mindset
Set aside one minute a day for gratitude tracking. You simply need to focus on the small moments/successes that you don’t always acknowledge. This could include having a cup of coffee without being disturbed.
Limit screen time
Our work and home life are becoming increasingly blurred, so try to limit your screen time when you’re not working. Also, stress and sleep don’t mix, so it’s important to use the time before
you go to bed to de-stress. Reduce your exposure to screens in the hours leading to bedtime. The blue light emitted from screens disrupts your sleep-wake cycle and can lead to wakefulness.
Stretch like an animal
The yoga industry is built around it, and animals understand this better than humans do. To wake yourself up after a good sleep or sitting down for a long time, we get ready for movement and work by automatically stretching our body.
It’s what’s called “natural pandiculation:” yawning, stretching your arms, arching your back, making yourself as stretched out as possible after first tensing your muscles. Contract your muscles, stretch out slowly and then release.
Appreciation
Showing your appreciation to another person (even if you can only do this
by email) will be warmly received and lift your mood.
Forget give and take
Give up your belief in
“give and take” and adopt a new “give and be given” approach. In other words, give out some unconditional love. It is likely that doing this may well increase your chances of getting some kindness in return.
Get off to a good start
Prepare your breakfast without relying too much on processed food. Get some fresh air. Decide which eight to ten tasks you would like to do today and make sure you accomplish the four or five of the most important ones.
Bust a move
Improve your mood by doing some exercise. Start with small steps, small goals that are very easy to achieve. Don’t worry about finishing, but make sure you make a start. Exercise really makes you feel better.