First we had black Friday and then Blue Monday. Where are all these badly coloured days coming from? We were told last week that it was the 'most depressing day of the year' by the media. Well, there is a statement. It fell of course in the long stretch between pre Christmas pay day and the end of January when mornings and evenings are dark and cold and Christmas is a distant memory stained only by the arrival of the credit card bills, but wait...is it me or have the days been dark and cold for a while? What on earth is the sense in telling us to be depressed?
It leads me to an interesting point of view about 'the news'. I know a few people who actually don't read the news any more. "It's all depressing, there is nothing good".
The news has changed a lot thanks to the internet, social media and mobile internet devices. News is now instant, if not quicker. Your skirt blows up in the wind and your knickers and pictured on the next trash magazines "badly dressed" section before you can put them away again.
News is also of course very useful. We need to know what's going on elsewhere in the world, we need to take an interest and a responsibility. It's enabled charities to raise awareness of natural disasters and raise millions of pounds in a very short timescale. It enables political broadcasts to people with no sight or no hearing and of course it gets advertising both of things we want to hear about (like your favourite shop having a mega sale) and the things you don't (like the PPI claims we've all been told we're entitled too!!).
So, what's my point? Well, this whole thing of 'Blue Monday' just really got me thinking. I have quoted before;
"You are the five people you spend the most time with"
Well, you're also a bundle of all your other influences, your facebook timeline, the news site you read or subscribe to, the gym you go to, the friends you hang out with and the headlines you read. So, what i'm saying is BE CAREFUL! A positive attitude is one of the most amazing and infectious tools you have and guess what? You can make one all by yourself FREE of charge!
My top five tips to a positive attitude
1. "An attitude of gratitude". Cheeeeese ball I know but have you tried it? Our wonderful in house therapist Bev encourages people to keep a gratitude journal and write down five things each day you're thankful for. From being able to breathe to the coffee someone bought you. From appreciate just how amazing your body is to the smile someone pulled just for you on the street. It's SO easy to find five things. Do it for a week and see just how positive you feel.
2. SLEEP! I know, i know, you've got children or you worked late and it's not your fault! But sometimes it is your fault right? Some times you watch just 'one more' episode of breaking bad or just another 30 minutes on the xbox? If you don't get good quality regular sleep do you notice how EVERYTHING is more irritating? Yes, so get that body into bed nice and early and feel refreshed.
3. Meditation or 'Me' time. How often do you stop and chill? Let your body rest, let your mind rest? Not in front of the tv but just quietly, just you? Try it, if you can manage 10 minutes each morning and be on your way to a yogi great but if not, just 2 minutes before bed or 1 minute in the shower. Give yourself time to reflect, absorb and appreciate what's going on around you.
4. Do something nice for someone else every week. Buy a bunch of flowers for someone who'd love them (you can get them for £4 in Tesco, come on!). Take your work colleagues favourite coffee into work for them. Cook someone dinner. Compliment someone on how the look. Call someone, just because. The best bit? You're the one that gets to feel great for it!
5. Goal set and reward. I worble on about this a lot but you'll have a lot to be positive about if you know what you want and you reward yourself when you get it. Use a vision board, plan with a friend, stick post it's all over your bathroom mirror - whatever you need to do. Visualise the future and be happy when it arrives. Celebrate the small stuff and tell yourself just how awesome you are! I dare you!
So, go forth and be nice this week. Anything but blue please!!
Hannah Johnson
Chief Catalyst at Lean Body Vision
@leanbodyvision
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