I never understood why they were called 'January blues', I always felt 'January greys' would be more applicable given the predominantly gloomy sky colour. Whichever pantone you assign to it, the Christmas aftermath has a down-vibe that we have all felt. Responsibilities flood in, social plans reduce and relaxation and smoked salmon go to the bottom of the priority list. No wonder the dark days following festivities can dim our moods. For many, the sluggish demotivated morale of the nation is a complete bummer where a feeling of depression spreads. No one deserves to feel that way. However, for others the problem stretches much further. One bad night’s sleep or rainy day can trigger of a downwards spiral of persistent anxiety and depression. According to the Mental Health Foundation, Mental health problems are one of the main causes of the overall disease burden worldwide and at this time of year- between September and April- SAD syndrome (seasonal affective disorder) affects 1 in 15 people in the UK. Not only is mental health a big issue, but help and support available for those suffering is (from my experience) hard to come by and surrounded by both stigma and long waiting lists. But who are we to let the time of year, the weather and the poor state of NHS resources get us off to a bad start to the year? Yes, the societal pressure to continue to live a fulfilling, productive and successful life has led me to conclude that living with a mental illnessabsolutely SUCKS, but why just sit with unfortunate timing and endogenous factors and let them stew into a big pot of British negativity? Just because one gets out of the wrong side of the bed doesn’t mean you can’t find the curtains and dramatically whip them aside letting the morning sunshine shine through your day. So take THIS January blues- a rainbow of so much beauty to prove you wrong. Here are some beams of light for the bleakest of days: Say nay to the grey...It's not all grey skies, only 9 days into 2017 we've had some stunning skylines. Instagram has been awash with capturings of the most beautiful british sunset secenes I have ever laid eyes on. Behind the clouds, the sun is always ready to shine through. Don't forget that. Worried that the celebrations are over?........hellooooo, PANCAKE DAY is approachingAnd when the flipping is done......there's the light of the upcoming summer sun.Days get longer, excitement gets stronger and summer holiday plans fall into place. And no matter how much the stress clouds your mind, there's still time for 'you time'When work is piling up, you have 101 things to do that you don't want to do and you miss that 'slouch-on-the-couch' Christmas feeling. You CAN still find time to relax. I personally find my escape from pressures in my yoga. Yoga is like lighting my inner candle of contentment. The light can ALWAYS be found if you make time to get the matches. So screw the mental health statistics, screw the glum weather and let's show the january blues/greys what a rainbow looks like! “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”
-J.K.Rowling
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March 2019
Take a sip from the cup of my mind, and let the thoughts brew... |