BLUE MONDAY: the “most depressing day of the year,” caused by a confluence of factors, including bad weather, holiday debt, failed resolutions, lack of social engagement and low motivation after the holidays. It has roots in the travel industry with the hopes of selling you more vacation packages.
This year it lands on Monday, January 19th.
Before you come at me all fired up about the pseudoscience of Blue Monday, let’s pause to ask ourselves how we are feeling right now and how we usually feel at this time of year. Personally, I haven’t seen the sun in days, my energy is dragging and all of my friends are sick with the latest thing that’s going around. Regardless of whether or not Blue Monday is a made up marketing tactic, it can be a great opportunity to check-in with our own well-being.
Let’s take a moment to STOP.
S – Stop and take stock of how you are doing.
T – Take a deep breath.
O – Observe this as an Opportunity for self-care.
P – Proceed into this new Possibility with self-compassion.
Okay now we are ready. Here is my challenge to you: Pause, reflect, anticipate and plan before Blue Monday hits.
Pause. Take a few minutes to do this. In your head is fine, but on paper is even better.
Reflect. Check in with how you are doing these days. Lean in with compassion and curiosity.
Anticipate. Over the next couple of weeks, what usually drags you down?
Plan. Keep it simple through manageable action items. We have probably all failed at our elaborate new years resolutions already so we don’t need to add insult to injury. I like to use a simple “if/then” formula.
For example,
If lack of sunlight drags me down, then I am leaving my SADD lamp plugged in on my desk.
If terrible winter weather depresses me, then I will stay inside, cook spicy jambalaya and listen to soca.
If I haven’t seen my friends in ages, then I will schedule a phone call with someone upbeat.
If I am truly exhausted, I will give myself permission to take a day off.
If I am feeling like this will be forever, then I will remember something to look forward to.
Get it? Okay now go and get prepared. And remember that after this, things can only go up. Longer hours of daylight, better weather and lifted spirits are just around the corner!
Drop it in the comments – how are you preparing?
Looking for a guided Blue Monday practice? Check this video out here on YouTube. It’s a mix of tapping, breath and gentle movement.
ZenwithGwen 