5 tips to feel good

January and February are usually hard months for me to go through because of the lack of sunlight, the cold and a general feeling of “what’s the point”. Here are 5 tips to help you feel good, prevent you from staying in bed all day and get to March.

1. Pamper yourself: When I feel grumpy, I usually get into a circle of just doing the essential and skipping through the superficial, extra step. However, this superficial-extra-step is so important! Whatever it might mean for you (putting on some make-up, lotion, conditioner; thinking about what you’re wearing; preparing some tea while working; using your favourite mug; or putting on your lucky pair of socks), taking the time to take care of yourself really makes a difference. It makes sense too: this extra attention to yourself will make you feel better in your skin (or lucky socks).

   

2. Adopt a daily routine (or revamp an old one): This year I’m trying out Yoga Camp from Adriene. For the entire month of January she is uploading one yoga video per day. This guarantees that I have 30 minutes per day to reconnect with myself and try to stop worrying or planning. However, you might choose to allow yourself to read before sleeping, enjoy a fresh cup of tea while knitting, or tidying your bag as soon as you get back from work/school. The idea here is to give yourself some time to really focus on something and get your mind to settle for a little while.
3. Invest time in a passion: Today was an extra hard day, and the reason why I’m not in my bed anymore is because I really wanted to write something here. I have been enjoying this blogging very much, and I love giving it time. I feel like having this time to look forward to, planning the articles and writing them is structuring my days and weeks outside of work, which is great.
4. Visit family and friends: Misery might love company, but having company might lift up the misery! (yes we are making our own sayings now!) Surrounding myself with loved ones and listening to what’s going on in their lives, sharing ideas (and food), and discovering new things always sheers me up. Even though it might sometimes feel like it is impossible to get to the person (smirk to late, over-packed buses), once there, it is always worth it, so let’s go!
5. Get plenty of night-time sleep and eat well: It is really easy to get into the habit of reading or surfing the internet for hours at end. It is also possible that cooking or eating is not quite as interesting. Well, it is very important to keep up with regular sleeping hours and balanced meals as these two things will influence your mood as well as your energy level (and patience with students or coworkers). You don’t want to shoot yourself in the foot by sabotaging your sleeping patterns or start craving junk food because you are hungry. Do this for yourself and the people around you.

   

Rereading these tips, I realize that they can pretty much be summed up to “TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!” Things will get easier, spring will come, and new opportunities will come. You want to be extra ready for those, so take care of yourself to make sure that they don’t find you in bed with dirty hair.