Today is Blue Monday, which means that today is officially the most depressing day of the year. Now I’m not 100% sure on how true that actually is. However I do know that depression is real, and people suffer all year round from it. The weather is definitely getting me down at the moment, and I am dreaming of sunshine. One of my goals this year is to improve my self-care. I will admit that the last few years I have concentrated more on my little girl than myself. But now it’s time for me.
One of my favourite things to do is to have a bath. I turn off my phone, shut the bathroom door and fill the bath with bubbles. It gives me a chance to relax and not think. Obviously being a mum means it can be quite difficult to do this all the time. But if you can find the time to do it then take it. Living by the coast has also helped my mental health. I find a walk along the beach so calming and relaxing. Just hearing the waves crash over the pebbles is amazing. I’ve started going down there on the mornings when I drop Clem off at school. It’s a great way to start the day.
Now I know not everyone is lucky enough to live near a beach, so with that in mind I have put together a little list of ways you can beat those blues.
- Get to the source. Write out your thoughts, if only for yourself to read.
- Call your best friend and vent.
- Watch cute animal videos.
- Cook yourself a yummy meal/bake a cake.
- Buy flowers for your home.
- Go for a walk.
- Take a nap (and don’t feel guilty about it).
- Clean your home.
- Take a luxurious bath
- Make yourself go out and do something, even if it’s as simple as running an errand.
- Try a new hobby
- Move around the furniture in your room. A change of scenery can be good.
- Get coffee with a friend.
- Do yoga (even if you’ve never tried it before).
- Try your hand at some DIY
- Say yes to social events, even if you don’t feel like it. (You can always end up leaving, but you might find that you don’t want to.)
- Take a break from social media and see how it makes you feel.
- See how long you can go without complaining about a single thing.
- Start planning out your days; structure can create a sense of purpose.
- Give yourself time to hide away, veg out, and then pick yourself back up.
Great advice Ky. I had a really hectic week last week and decided I needed a bit more ‘me’ time and better self care. I then came across your post which was perfect timing!
Buying flowers, buying a pretty notebook, some nice quality tea or coffee are nice little mood boosts for me. I also find writing a list of things I need to do helps clear my head.
I definitely miss being by the sea – what a great way to start the day xx