Beating Blue Monday with Pandora Paloma
Here we are in another national lockdown and Blue Monday has rolled around. This might be a time where you want to crawl under the covers, however we can and will beat blue Monday together. The key to is to concentrate on yourself in kind, uplifting and realistic ways that fit in with your day and the great thing is, these ideas can help you in future too. There is so much we can do to boost our mood and keep us topped up. Wellbeing is so important and that’s why I’m thrilled to be sharing my top tips with you!
Read on for how to beat blue Monday, nourishing yourself and your mind, from the inside out.
Tip 1. Do Things that bring you joy
What brings you joy? What makes you feel good? Whether it is watching a comedy, calling a friend or getting out in nature, today is your day to dedicate some time to it. Each and every one of you will have something different in mind, but I encourage you all to make sure today is the day you give yourself the time to do it. No excuses, on Blue Monday, it’s the day to dedicate time for you. Starting the day well can have tremendous benefits and my favourite way to is to use a breathing technique called box breath. You breathe in for a count of 4, hold for 4, breath out for 4 and hold for 4. This helps calm and regulate your nervous system which is exactly what we need on Blue Monday.
Tip 2 - Make Plans for the Year Ahead
Channel your inner visionary and instead of thinking about all the things you can’t do, focus on what you can do instead! It might be some DIY to make your home even cosier, getting your home office sorted, taking up online Spanish classes ahead of your next holiday or taking up a fitness class you’ve had your eye on. It’s easy to focus on what we can’t do but that doesn’t ever really get us anywhere, so by focusing on what we can, we enter a state of empowerment instead of feeling limited. Choose to think about where you want to be, not where you’ve been.
Tip 3 - Choose Random Acts of Kindness
Research has shown that being kind and doing random acts of kindness can improve relationships, our health, out relationships, slow down ageing (bonus) and best of all, it’s contagious. By choosing to do something that is kind to another human, you are switching on the happiness button in your brain, which is going to help you beat the blues. Being kind also inspires others to do the same, so if there’s one thing to do on Blue Monday, it’s be kind to yourself and others. This might be sending a letter to a loved one, helping a neighbour get some shopping or picking some flowers for your partner. Whatever it is, show someone a random act of kindness today.
Let’s beat Blue Monday together!
Check out the video below of Pandora Paloma going through these tips in more detail and head to her Instagram for more hints and tips @pandorapaloma_