Forget #BlueMonday, let's hug it out instead!

Is January really the most depressing month in the year?

January is a pretty rubbish month right? Cold, gloomy weather…..long awaited pay days…..tight trousers…..lots of leftover chocolate to eat…..no money to do anything…..Christmas a long and distant happy memory…?!

But is that the right way to look at January? Wouldn’t it be better to look at January in a more positive way? Today marks the dreaded “Blue Monday”, dubbed the most depressing day of the year. But is it just the media making it something bigger than it actually is? A lot of people could say that every Monday is Blue Monday, that feeling of dread going into work after a weekend with family and friends. So wouldn’t the world be a nicer place if we flipped all the negatives into some more positive ones!

Change the way you think

Has anybody noticed the spring bulbs pushing through the soil? The crisp mornings with the sun trying to break through? Watching a good movie with friends or family in front of a cosy fire? The great feeling of a new challenge with a fresh to do list sat on your desk?

Maybe if we viewed things differently we could change the way we feel about January and any Monday in fact. January is the perfect time to set yourself new goals and challenges, or to write anything off from 2018 that didn’t go so well.

What are your 2019 goals?

Try to write a list of all the things you would like to achieve this year. This could be work related, fitness or health related, something to do with your social life or some personal development. It could even be something that simply makes you happy – like reading more or spending more quality time with friends.

Think of goals that are achievable and that motivate you. Make them realistic and visualise the success when the goal is achieved. Make the time to work on your goals and check your progress continuously to make sure you are on track.

As an office, we are doing RED January which is a community initiative that encourages you to support your mental health by doing something active every single day. As our offices are on Leeds Liverpool canal, and we have an office dog that needs walking every day, we couldn’t really say no could we! But that lovely feeling after a quick walk in the fresh air down the canal takes some beating. Not only does it revitalise you and clear your head, but it also fights the feeling of tiredness and reduces your stress levels. And it helps you concentrate more when you are back at your work station!

Appreciate the good things in life

It’s all too easy to get caught up in our daily, hectic lives but sometimes it’s really good to appreciate what’s around us to boost our feelings of optimism. It could be anything from a tree sprouting new buds to a booked holiday to look forward to later in the year. Research shows that gratitude has powerful effects on physical health, self-worth and personal relationships. One of the simplest ways of practicing gratitude is to think about what things you are grateful for. It could be the simplest of things. Then even on days that aren’t that great, there’ll always be something positive you can feel grateful for.

Hug it out!

Not only is today dubbed as “Blue Monday” but did you know it’s also “National Hug Day”. So let’s think about today as a more positive day. Why don’t you try giving somebody a hug instead. It could cheer them up and make their day. Tell them you appreciate them, give them a compliment or show them that you care. We all love a good hug right?

Think positive. Appreciate the good things in life and let’s have a Happy Monday instead!