Congratulations everyone! We’ve made it to the half way mark of January!

I’m writing this on ‘Blue Monday,’ the third Monday of the year which has been given this gloomy title – supposedly due to the combination of post-Christmas blues, unpaid credit card bills and poor weather, but in reality a title made up by the travel industry to drum up business!

It’s very easy to get miserable at this time of year – particularly given the rain we’re having which seems relentless at times. But there’s lot we can do to remain positive in the face of adversity!

Don’t be too hard on yourself if you’ve already given up your New Year’s resolution – it amazes me that people try to diet in January when there’s still a mountain of cheese in the fridge and a never-ending supply of biscuits in the office. The thought of implementing a rigorous new exercise routine at the darkest time of year seems crazy. But we can take small steps – adding fresh fruit and veggies into our diet and signing up for a gentle yoga class may be more than enough this month. Sometimes making it to the end of the week is an achievement in itself!

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.” – Edith Sitwell

Without a doubt, selfcare is the first thing that you let slip when you’re feeling a bit down, so remind yourself of the importance of getting eight hours sleep a night (but not worrying if you don’t), eating nutritious food (not too much, not too little), taking gentle exercise and ensuring you have a variety of social interactions that lift your spirits.  

As Emily Coxhead from The Happy Newspaper says, “Life always comes with the good and the rough, some days are magic, and others are tough.”

Let’s start each Monday, blue or otherwise, with a deep breath, a smile and a disco playlist turned up to full volume.