Five years ago Stephen Buckley, Head of Information at the Mental Health Charity Mind, tried to dispel the myth of Blue Monday. That title for the third Monday in January is still trending today, but the truth is that depression can affect anyone, at any time—not just today. If you, or someone you know, is suffering this winter, get help. These days there’s no stigma attached to it. So many people are affected by mental health problems medical staff are trained to understand, not judge.
If you have a serious problem, the first thing you should do is contact your local GP. More and more surgeries are opening up, and those that aren’t seeing patients face-to-face will arrange a video consultation. Once you’ve done that, or if (like me) you’re on the right side of it but need a boost during the short dark days between Christmas and Pay Day, here are some free ideas to try:
- Journaling. All you need is a pen and paper. Writing down your thoughts can be a great form of release. Nobody else needs to see what you’ve written, so you can let yourself go. As well as doing this, at the end of each day I find it really helpful to write down three things for which I’m really grateful. It always makes me feel better to remember the benefits my health, my family, the chance to get out in the garden, and other blessings give me.
- Put on some loud, fast music—and dance! It gets everything moving, and raises your spirits. I like Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen, but anything noisy and fun will do. Just make sure that when you dance like nobody’s watching, you do it with the curtains closed. Then there really won’t be anyone watching!
This time last year we were all in deepest pandemic gloom. Today, the situation may be different but not all of our problems have gone away. During the first months of 2021 I created a page called Instant Lift, to provide just that. You can find it here.
How do you tackle the winter blues?