Dear Colleague,
I am a bit late off the mark with this however we are only midway through January and hence we can catch up with spreading a bit of happiness I’m sure.
Action for happiness has some brilliant printable resources to bring a bit a sunshine to our day
This is January’s but if you sign up to the site you will receive a monthly plan straight to your email
Happier January | Action for Happiness Daily actions to help you be kind and help others actionforhappiness.org
Blue Monday will fall on 20th January this year
Blue Monday falls on the third Monday of January, and is considered to be the most depressing day of the year. This year it falls on 20 January. We’ve got a few top tips that can help lift your mood and get you through the month.
Why do we get the Monday Blues?
Mondays are already difficult enough, but there are many factors why it has earned itself the title, Blue Monday. It’s the time of year when Christmas has been and gone, New Year resolutions have been broken, and the combination of winter darkness and bad weather can leave us feeling more gloomy than normal. We also have to stretch our finances longer than we normally would, so pay day feels more distant than in other months.
You can watch Shannon and Sarosh from Berkshires Talking Therapies team discuss why its common to feel low this time of year in our therapy video.
Watch the What are the January Blues video
Some top tips
Here are just a few things you can do.
- Use the ‘worry time’ strategy. A lot of people have ‘what if’ worries, like paying off a bill or missing a train. Sometimes these situations won’t happen, but you can spend a lot of time being anxious about them. Shannon and Sarosh from Talking Therapies suggest you set aside time, even just 15 minutes in the evening, to use as your ‘worry time.’ Try to use that time to manage any worries that you have at a time that suits you.
- Make yourself a happy jar. Once a week, write something that made you happy, and by the end of the year, you’ll have a jar full of happy memories that you can look back on, lift your mood and give you an instant boost for next Blue Monday.
- Relax. Give yourself some ‘you time.’ There are many apps that can help you relax. Some people like to meditate. We also suggest trying to get outside, even when it’s cold. Wrap up warm and get some fresh air.
- Practice mindfulness or meditation. Being in the present, and taking the time to notice what’s happening around you, can make a big difference to your mental wellbeing. You can add this into your routine at the beginning or end of the day, with the help of free apps, like Smiling Mind and Headspace.
Find out more about Smiling Mind
Find out more about mindfulness from the NHS website
Kindest regards
Nikki
Nicola Albanese
Lancashire & South Cumbria Project Manager supporting the Strategic Clinical Lead
Health and Wellbeing Programme Champion for Lancashire and South Cumbria Primary Care, Community Pharmacy, Optometry and Dentistry
