The bluest Monday??

If you are in my network then you may have read my post on Monday about oversleeping (which is so rare for me) on the first day of home-schooling. Well my day didn’t get much better which had led me to write this article....

The wind was howling all night long and I lay awake with my to do list swirling round my head, the rain battered off my bedroom windows as the wind sounded like it could rip my roof off at anytime. My husband got up to go to the loo around 5am and I said “I’ve had the worst nights sleep but almost time to get up” then I must have drifted back asleep. Oh it was lovely and probably the best sleep I have had in ages. I opened my eyes and turned to check the time.

Oh my Goodness, it was 9.08am!!! Both my kids were still fast asleep (again, they NEVER sleep until this time) all on the first day of home-schooling.

I jumped in shower, no time to workout of course then rushed around getting everyone ready. Me and my Husband already agreed to work the day in shifts so I quickly got to work as he sorted the kids.

It was still dark outside and I have to say it remained dark all day. I had team catch ups and moved on with the tasks ahead but it all just felt so, I’m trying to think of how best to describe it, so blue!

There are so many positives in my business and my life at the moment but I tell you, on Monday I struggled to think of what they were. I motored on but felt the weight of it all lie heavy on my shoulders. I’m sure it didn’t help that kids were tired from being out of their routine. My 2 year old is refusing her nappy but equally refusing to use a potty so running around asking if she needs a pee pee every 10 minutes was just another task.

This was not like me and got some reason I couldn’t shift that blue feeling. Then I had a lightbulb moment, ah ha!! This must be what they call blue Monday, I am sure that’s in January, everyone must be feeling the same!!

I’m not sure if you are aware that there is an official Blue Monday? I only know about it as a fair few years ago when I worked for another company. I woke up one Monday in January and really wanted to phone in sick. I am no sicky taker so of course I fought the urge and went into work. When I got there, it turned out that half the office had called in sick and I was told it was officially blue Monday. When people struggle to get up, get out of bed. When they realise it’s middle of winter and the fun of the festivities are over, pay day is a while away and your credit card bills from over indulging are starting to leave a hangover. It was a thing! I had no idea but was so glad I fought the urge to phone in and take that sicky.

Anyway, that must be why I was blue eh? I typed into my search bar “what date is blue Monday in 2021?” And to my surprise it replied with “Monday 18th January”

I was wrong.

Blue Monday has still to come!!

Well for me, I think I have had mine but for many of you, it may come on Monday so I wanted to write this for you all:

It’s hopefully only one day. My personal experience was by Tuesday I could see all the positives again. On Tuesday I got up early and worked out, it was a challenge but I knew I wanted to feel good so I forced myself- I did feel better.

I wrote a list of our team figures and pipeline and live roles coming on and could see that we are in good shape.

I arranged catch up meetings with contacts

I wrote a blog for a client

I took my kid who needs home-schooled on a big walk in woods and called it gym class

I planned my day and how to fit in some schooling before the day started

This year had not started as many people hoped and I can really sense that many people are now struggling mentally with all these restrictions, not seeing their families, worrying about their job, worrying about their health, worrying about the future! So many people thought that even the new year bells started ringing then 2020 was over and all that went with it. Now the reality is here and the likelihood of normality may not creep back until 2022 and it’s tough.

So this Monday coming could perhaps be the bluest Monday?

If it is for you please try and do something to help yourself feel better. Virtual coffees, plan something nice for later in year, go for a walk in a beautiful place and savour what you can.

Things WILL change and they WILL get better. Take small steps and focus on the small things and I hope by Tuesday that it’s less dark, less windy, less rainy and you feel brighter in yourself.

I hope by writing this I can make some of you laugh when needed but also to remember this if you wake up feeling blue.

You can do this! We all can, if we can help each other. If you see someone feeling blue, try to help them lift their spirits. You never know how much your kind words and encouragement can mean to someone.