Blue Monday is advertised as the saddest day of the year, on the third Monday of January. It was created as a marketing campaign by Sky Travel in 2005, the concept was to sell more holidays and make us spend money! We think that sounds like a load of rubbish so instead we want to give you a chance to win £250 to spend on our website!
Head over to our Instagram to be in with a chance of winning!
Although some retail therapy can certainly help us feel better and who doesn’t want to escape the winter temperatures, encouraging us to spend money doesn’t feel like a sustainable way to improve your mood.
January can still be a challenging month for many, maybe you’ve splurged money on presents and overindulged at Christmas, the weather isn’t the best, but Spring is around the corner and it’s time to make some plans for 2022.
We all know anxiety and feeling blue can happen at any time of year, your mental health is entirely subjective to you and no one else.
Let’s face it… the last couple of years have been interesting with the pandemic dominating our lives but has also resulted in lots of beautiful pandemic babies!
January blues aside, it can be a promising month, reflecting over the past year and setting goals for the future.
We’ve gathered some ideas to boost your outlook on the year ahead, and maybe challenge you to try some new activities that you have previously overlooked or been too busy to investigate? …We all know parenting is juggling a million things all at once and your own self-care is sometimes at the bottom of the list.
Gratitude
We hear this word thrown around a lot these days but taking a moment to reflect on what you are grateful for no matter how small, your favourite comfy slippers, phone calls with your bestie, your child’s smile, or the sound of their laugh, that first sip of warm coffee in the morning or personal accomplishments you’re proud of are all valid reasons to be grateful.
Focussing on these moments can lead to long-lasting happiness in a world of chaos. Keeping a gratitude journal on paper or your phone is a useful tool to remember what you’re grateful for and remind yourself of these moments and all the wonderful things in your life that make you happy.
We love this little blog post from Selfish Mother
Practising gratitude is proven to positively impact your physical and mental wellbeing, help you sleep better, as well as boost morale, self-esteem, and immune system. These all sound like great reasons to be practising gratitude.
It’s not happy people who are grateful, but grateful people who are happy.
Journaling
Writing down your thoughts can be an empowering and motivating practice, getting your thoughts out of your head and onto paper. Treat yourself to a nice notebook, It can often be daunting, staring at a blank page in front of you, with not a single mark made. But the benefits of journaling are well known, those that write in a journal daily are more likely to accomplish their goals and stay focused on growth and positive change.
It’s surprising what you can write about when you do start writing your feelings, goals, and thoughts. It’s a good practice to declutter your mind and open space for creativity and honesty. Track your moods and reflect on your progress. Why not give it a go and see if it works for you.
Exercise
Exercise is one of those activities we all know is a benefit to us…but where is the time, being a parent means feeding the newborn, entertaining the toddler all while trying to tidy up, prepare food, get the washing on, trying to keep routines, seeing friends and family, the list is endless! Never mind finding some ‘me time’
If you’re not into the gym, then find an activity you enjoy and try and make it part of your everyday life. Yoga, dance, boxing, swimming, dancing, or running? There are many classes and groups you can join, check out free classes in your area or have a look on YouTube there are lots of workouts outs you can do at home.
When you have young toddlers or newborns, it can be quite tricky to carve out a routine, but even the smallest walk around the park with them in a stroller can have a significant effect on your mood and get some steps in!
Check out our friend @thepilatespt who has just launched @thebumpplan
Sleep
Ok this one seems like a bit of a joke to new mums or parents of children, what even is sleep?! Sleep deprivation is part for the course as a new parent and those luxurious 8 hours or lie ins are something of the past, However, lack of sleep can affect us all at any time. Whether you’re battling through the early months with a newborn, establishing bedtime routines with your defiant toddler, or just having periods of disturbed rest, there are things you can do to try and get a refreshing night’s rest.
Routine
It is important to establish a routine of winding down before bed, try and put your phone away half an hour before bed – most smartphones now have a ‘focus mode’ which makes switching your phone off much easier, often blocking notifications and allowing you to wind-down in peace.
You could also read a book, drink herbal tea, listen to a sleep meditation or take a relaxing bath, all these things will make you feel drowsy encouraging you to sleep. Eye masks are also a great tool to close your eyes and get some zzz’s.
Sleeping environment
Who doesn’t love that fresh bedding feeling! You want your room to be cosy, quiet, and dark. Sleeping in a room that is messy and cluttered, although your eyes are closed, can be quite disruptive for your sleep. You must also consider the environment your baby sleeps in too – as this can affect them as much as you, sleeping baby = happy parents!
Ensuring your little one’s room is the correct temperature, the cot is decluttered of toys and loose bedding (at least for the first 12-months) If you want to put a blanket over your little one, muslin blankets are a great option, as the fabric is breathable and light.
If you are looking for more tips on ensuring that your baby’s nursery is safe, you could look at our previous post which has lots of useful hints and tips.
Take some ‘me’ time – Yes, you deserve it!
While parenting can sometimes make it difficult to take some me time, or you feel guilty for doing so, taking some well-deserved time out can be beneficial to your health and wellbeing, taking part in some of the activities we mentioned above or just having 10-minutes chill time to relax the mind.
We hope you find some of these hints and tips beneficial and have a wonderful 2022, while we are not providing medical advice, we recommend following @midwifepip on Instagram who can guide you and help you in your pregnancy and new parenting journey.
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