So, statistically this is the most depressing day of the year... which is a depressing statistic in itself!
I just read Louise from Sprinkle of Glitter's Blue Monday post and decided to make my own version, complete with inspiring images from Pinterest!
January is never all that much fun. Money is often tight, the excitement of Christmas and New Year is over and it's still dark, still cold and this year (for much of the country) the weather is causing everything to grind to a halt. What fun!
So, how can you cheer yourself up?
As ridiculous as it sounds, something I found myself doing the other day was simply thinking back over some really funny memories from the past few years in preparation for filming the Best Friend Tag with my best friend Emma. After just a couple of minutes I ended up grinning from ear to ear... what's more, I was in work at the time! Anyone who knows me knows how much I despise my part time job, I usually feel pretty miserable from the start of my shift to the finish, so the mere fact that reminiscing in my head genuinely changed how I felt during the shift is a miracle! So have a look back through old photos, or just think about a time when you were really, really happy. It really does make a difference.
Watch or read something that you really love. While you can only avoid reality for so long, if you're having a really rubbish day getting engrossed in your favourite book or TV programme can instantly lift your mood. It does for me, anyway!
Call or visit a good friend. Having a total rant to your friend about how you feel, followed up by a distracting conversation about something totally unrelated is always a good way to make you feel better. The other night, for example, Emma and I spent a good hour ranting about how rubbish things are in terms of jobs, the economy, and global news in general, followed by an hour of watching videos like this on YouTube... suffice to say, we ended the evening laughing hysterically!
Think really hard and you'll realise that there has been at least one good thing about the day, even if in general it has felt a bit rubbish. For me, I am planning a catch up with two of my friends tomorrow night, and later this evening I'm going to watch the season 3 finale of The Vampire Diaries (I am so far behind!!). I also had some amazing vanilla and strawberry yoghurt ice cream while watching Home and Away with my mum! These might not be hugely exciting things in themselves, but they each brightened up the day even just for a little while - so be sure to take note of the little things that put a smile on your face :)
Make a plan (this was also one of Louise's tips!)! Whether it's something as small as catching up with a friend (as I am tomorrow!), as big as going after a new career, or something in between, like taking up a new hobby, saving up to buy a new *insert whatever your dream purchase of the moment is here*, or looking into visiting your dream holiday destination, making a plan can make a huge difference to how you feel. Plans gives you something to look forward to, and focus on when you're feeling down :)
So that's it for my top tips for cheering yourself up on the most depressing day of the year! What are some of yours? Leave them in the comments below, and I hope you've all had a lovely 21st of January - let's turn that statistic around!!
Lynsey xxx
Lynsey xxx
This post is lovely, I think a big part of beating the blues like you say is appreciating the little things :) I had a lovely day today and didn't actually do anything majorly exciting just enjoyed every little thing. From my morning chai to lunch at a friend's house, perfect :) x
ReplyDeleteThank you! Yeah, it really does make such a difference :) Also, I have just discovered that my brain is NOT on board with typing the word depressing in this post - it seems to have added in an additional 'S" every time!! x
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