Blue Monday.

The midpoint of the month of January. A time when the greetings of ‘Happy New Year’ have started to wane. The most depressing day of the year.

Don’t give in to the hype. Apparently, the creation of Blue Monday was a PR stunt . It’s not even real. Don’t let others decide how you feel. Instead, here are some quick, easy and cheap ideas to take care of yourself and shift your state:

1 - Take a Walk

The rhythmic activity of walking is good for the mind and body. Find the calmest, quietest place to walk. If you can find nature great. Try to get lost on meandering paths or walk by a river or canal.  Use headphones and podcasts or music or settle into the silence.

2- Have a Drink of Water

Every chemical reaction that occurs in the body needs water to fuel it. It helps to nourish the cells and ship away waste. It helps to refresh the mind and raise energy levels. Sip water throughout the day. If you can get used to it, then warm water is much more soothing to your digestive system.

3- Stand Against a Wall

Posture is so reflective of your inner state. You can nudge your physiology to feel more awake and uplifted by finding poise. Stand against a wall and allow your shoulders to open and your head to come back. Stay there for 60 seconds and keep this sense of vertical line as you go about your day.

4- Take a Breath

Don’t worry about the inhalation. Just allow your exhalation to be long and slow. It helps to instantly calm your nervous system.

5- Brush your Body

You know that feeling when you’ve just brushed your teeth and you feel tingly and clean? Body brushing helps to get the circulation going and the lymph flowing and is a great practice before a shower at this time of year.

6- Have a Giggle

Seek out your nearest and dearest who make you belly laugh. That easy, uncontrollable joy will do wonders for your happy hormones.

7- Hug a Lot

Having a cosy hug helps to release oxytocin in abundance, the hormone of love and connection. Nestle in to your partner or family. If you live alone, you will still benefit from giving yourself gentle touch through a relaxing feet, face or scalp massage.

8- Read a Favourite Book

Reading an old treasure is like time with a good friend and the best therapy and self-care rolled in to one. Curl up in a corner and let yourself drift away.

9- Get a Blast of Fresh Air

At this time of year it’s easy to get cocooned inside with central heating. Fresh air helps to wake the senses. You can open the windows for 5-10 minutes to refresh the air. If you have some essential oils to hand, these are a great thing to use afterwards in a diffuser.

10- Switch off the News

The news is communicated in a way to alarm and provoke us. It’s well worth ridding yourself of the habit of listening or reading to the news. It will help you to connect with yourself instead of being drawn into upsetting stories. Don't bother with the kind of news feed that would even bother to tell you it's Blue Monday!

Give those tips a try, and create your own Monday, your way.