After the busy festive season, everything seems to go quiet in January. The third Monday in January is known as Blue Monday. It’s thought to be when people feel their lowest in the year. The excitement from the holidays is over, it’s cold and dark, and there’s nothing to look forward to. Why not try incorporating these feel-good rituals into your routine to boost your energy, mood and start your year on a high?
Incorporate Self-Care Sunday
Taking some time out of a busy schedule for me-time is so
important. Our modern society often rewards busy, hectic schedules, and
doesn’t commend resting enough. Not only is time alone doing little else
but thinking good for creativity, it’s good for productivity too. Yes,
rest is productive. We need to recuperate to function properly with
downtime that isn’t spent sleeping. What better way to recuperate by
taking care of mind, body, and soul with a pamper evening or dedicated
self-care Sunday?
Fill your space with your favorite scents –
relaxing essential oils like lavender, rosemary, jasmine, and clary
sage, or scented candles – and nourish your body head to toe with the
ultimate indulgence. Say no to plans and chores, have a relaxing bath,
do a restorative skincare routine, put on a hair mask, and switch off
from the outside world to enjoy some blissful moments!
Get Enough Sleep
During the hours we sleep, our body goes through a deep repair and
restoration process that helps us to functionproperly. Getting enough
sleep each night means our muscles, as well as our mind, can restand
recuperate,and everything can recharge and reset. For adults, 7-10 hours
of sleep each night is recommended. Making this a focus in your life
help enormously, from improving your skin and helping you to look
younger, to improving energy, mood, and cognitive function to enhancing
muscle recovery after tough workout sessions. Enough sleep enhances
every part of our life, including reducing the risk of developing
serious health conditions. Fall asleep faster, get better quality sleep,
and wake up feeling refreshed with natural sleep enhancers to support
your slumber. Develop a good night-time routine, switch off digital
screensand if you need to, take sleep supplements to help you nod off.
Get Enough Daylight & Connect With Nature & People
Half of the population is deficient in vitamin D. The best way to get
more is by spending time outside in natural daylight. If you canwander
in agreen space like a park or countryside, even better. Nature scenes
are proven to help you feel more relaxed. If you struggle to get
outside, amp up your vitamin D levels with a vitamin D supplement. To
further connect with nature, you could try earthing. “When your body
directly touches the Earth, your entire being changes; both inside and
outside. Studies show earthing calms our nervous system and help reduce
stress and anxiety. Make a New Year’s intention to go barefoot on the
Earth for at least 20 minutes, twice a day. If that’s too much, try for
10 minutes on your lunch break. It will quiet your inner talk and bring
you back to the center of your being. You’ll be able to see the world,
your life, and yourself in a whole new way,” suggests hypnotherapist and
life coach,Kristine Ovsepian.
Whilst we’re talking about connection, connect with friends and family.
If you’re an introvert, you might find yourself putting this off or
canceling plans, but when you do connect, you’ll be surprised at how
good you feel. We’re social creatures and crave connection as much as
solitude! It can also help you to feel less alone and in your own head.
Move Your Body
Regular exercise has got endless
benefits to your physical and mental long-term health. Just 30 minutes
of moderate exercise 5 times a week can help you to lose weight, develop
stronger muscles and joints (crucial as you get older), and release a
natural high from those feel-good endorphins.It can helpto alleviate
anxiety and depression too.With regular exercise, your cardiovascular
health is improved so you’re less likely to suffer from heart
conditions. Some tips to get going and find motivation? Find an exercise
you love. It doesn’t have to be hitting the treadmill. Walking,
running, boxing, yoga, swimming, weight training, and dancing are all
great ways to stay fit, and going to classes with other people can also
boost your mood thanks to feeling part of a team with increased social
interactions. Make yourself accountable by going with friends and
family, and build into your routine. Make it easy for yourself to go.
Join a class that’s on your route home, and record your achievements.
Nourish Your Body With Nutrients
The secret to feeling good, especially your energy, mood, brain
function, and immune system, is through your gut, and that means
focusing on your nutrition and water intake. Follow the expert's advice,
and try to eat a varied, well-balanced diet incorporating at least 30
different types of vegetables per week(to increase antioxidants)with
plenty of protein, fiber, and carbohydrates with whole grains. Top-up
any deficiencies (common ones include vitamin D, zinc, vitamin C, and
magnesium) with supplements and include probiotics and prebiotics to
assist your digestion for a healthy gut.
Don’t Set Unrealistic Goals
With a new year comes pressure to reinvent yourself, but you don’t want
to make things harder for yourself. If you want to set yourself goals,
set 1-3 goals using the SMART framework. The goals must be specific,
manageable, achievable, realistic, and timely. “Eat better” or “cut down
on alcohol” aren’t specific enough. You’re setting yourself up for
failure. Choose a deadline with a very specific goal, for example, “Eat
30 different types of fruit and vegetables by next Sunday” then track it
with a tally chart. If you’re not tracking it, how can you see your
progress? Secondly, if you fall off, don’t beat yourself up and quit.
Instead, accept that you had a blip, and continue on the next day, or
even reassess goals and work out whether they’re achievable for you
right now. Alter them if you need to.
Have A Wellbeing Routine
Whether you’re a morning or night person, creating a nourishing routine
can enhance your mental health, by giving yourself time each day, to
either wind-up or wind down. It’s about saving yourself a little bit of
sacred time every day to dedicate to yourself. In the morning,
avoidchecking your phonefirst thing and letting the outside world into
your rested, calm brain, and instead meditate, do yoga, journal or
workout. If you’re more of a night owl or have trouble sleeping, it may
be worth creating your ideal evening routine, which could also involve
all those things, with a digital cut-off point being paramount.Yogaboosts your physical body, and is great for increasing flexibility and helping your body to feel younger for longer.Meditationwill
provide you with stillness and quiet time, while journaling can help
you to empty and organize your thoughts, solve problems and deal with
hard times or emotions. It can also help you to realize what you want.
Dance It Out
Put on your favorite playlist and dance it out like no one is watching.
Music can have a particular effect on the body that can change your
whole mood. Move in whatever way feels good, loosen any tension and lose
yourself in the moment. It might feel unnatural if you’ve never done it
before, but trust us on this one. Try incorporating it into your
wind-up or wind down routine, or if you’re feeling a little low, whack
on your tunes and leave your inhibitions and ego at the door.