Hi there!
Apparently, today is Blue Monday 😞
For those of you that are unaware of this – the third Monday in January is meant to be the most depressing day of the year. The cold, dark days coupled with waiting for pay day after Christmas apparently is the perfect formula for feeling blue. As much as there is talk about this being formulated by a scientist, I hear that this originated from a publicity stunt by Sky Travel to encourage people to book their Summer holidays!
It just reminds me that you can’t believe everything you believe! I remember being told the story about the lady with the joint of beef 🐄.
One day when cooking the Sunday roast, the young girl asked her mother, “Why do you cut the ends of the beef before you put it in the oven?” Pondering this question for a moment, the mother replied, “Do you know… I don’t know. It’s something Granny always used to do.” So next time the young girl visited her Granny, she asked, “Granny, why do you always cut the ends off the beef before putting it in the oven?” She also pondered this question and replied, “I have no idea. It’s just what I’ve always done. I think your Great Grandmother used to do it”. Intrigued, the young girl visited her Great Grandmother and asked her the same question, and she replied, “When I was a young woman, we didn’t have much money and we had a tiny oven. The butcher always took pity on us because I had lots of mouths to feed so always gave me a big joint of beef but it was that big it didn’t fit in our oven so I had to cut the ends off to make it fit”.
I find this story incredible but as a reminder that we are often doing things because it’s what we’ve always done or what we’ve been told without really questioning what we believe and why.
Just because some people label today as Blue Monday, it doesn’t mean it actually is! You can make today whatever colour of the rainbow you wish! 🌈
If you are feeling a bit low today then please remember how important shifting your focus can be to changing your state. Instead of focussing on everything you don’t have; all the things you have to do; all the problems…try focussing on everything you do have; everything you have achieved so far today; everything that’s going right in your life.
The simple act of writing in a gratitude journal every morning is an incredibly effective way to train your brain to become more resilient in times of stress. Here is links to a few of my favourite ones…
Habit Nest Gratitude Journal - The Gratitude Sidekick Journal: A 66-Day Daily Gratitude & Mindfulness Journal for Developing A Habit of Gratitude & Postivity : Amazon.co.uk: Stationery & Office Supplies
The 6 Minute Diary - The 6-Minute Diary (The Original) | Gratitude Journal for Men & Women | Manifestation Journal | Daily Wellness Journal for More Mindfulness : Amazon.co.uk: Stationery & Office Supplies
The Daily Greatness Journal - The Original Dailygreatness Journal – Dailygreatness UK & Europe
I had this one for Christmas. It isn’t so much a gratitude journal but has reflective prompts everyday which I’m loving - The Greatest Self-Help Book (is the one written by you): A Daily Journal for Gratitude, Happiness, Reflection and Self-Love: Amazon.co.uk: King, Vex, Kaushal, The Rising Circle: 9781035005185: Books
They are a little on the pricey side but they are sooo worth it. A few of my male clients have particularly loved ‘The 6 Minute Diary’. Failing that, just writing down 3 different things you can be grateful for everyday in a notebook or on your phone works just as well. The trick is to build the habit into your daily routine (I write in mine when I’m eating my breakfast) and to do it consistently for a few weeks at least. You also need to make sure that you are not repeating any of the same things. This makes you think really hard about what to write and trains your brain to find the magic in the tiniest of things.
Our homework from my meditation class this weekend with the wonderful Wild Minds, was to spend a few moments thinking about our favourite smells, tastes, sounds, immersing ourselves in them in our minds and feeling grateful for them. I have extended this to thinking about my husband, the boys, our house, my car, the amazing experiences I’ve had. Then imagining life without them and thinking what it would be like if I never got to experience those things again. The gratitude comes flooding in!
Remember today is what YOU make it. You can be happy no matter what day it is/what your bank balance is/what month it is.
Happiness comes from within you
Have a magical week, you beautiful people 🌈💜🎉
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