Boo Hoo!

Today is Blue Monday, the most depressing day of the year. All that holiday overeating finally caught up to your waistline. The December credit bill has arrived in bright red. It’s time to start getting ready for the upcoming tax season. You’ve realized your New Year’s Resolutions aren’t working out as well as you hoped, and when you look outside, it’s dark and gloomy. No wonder things are depressing. Blue Monday was first published in 2005 by Sky Travel when they noticed their passengers looked sadder than usual. After doing some calculations, they figured out people were most depressed on the third Monday in January, thus creating Blue Monday to raise awareness for this sad time of the year. Instead of being sad, here are some ways in which you can make today a little brighter.

Get Active

Now would be the perfect day to use that gym membership you were thinking about canceling. Even if you don’t feel like it, you should still go. By exercising, you’ll increase your body endorphins, creating a phenomenon known as a “Runner’s High”. With high levels of endorphins, you’ll be able to distract yourself from everyday problems you have no control over, like traffic, lowering your stress levels. As you shed your daily tensions off, your extra pounds will follow. Losing weight can greatly increase your self-esteem and self-confidence. Once that starts happening, you’ll become a more sociable person as you’ll start feeling better both inside and out. Also, when your self-confidence has increased, you’ll be able to get the courage to go after higher-paying jobs in your field.

Getting Back Into Healthy Eating

With the holidays being over, it’s time to stop overindulging and get back into healthy eating habits. You'll want to reduce your sugar intake gradually, as quitting abruptly isn't good or healthy. Doing that is unrealistic and will guarantee to set you up for failure. Instead, cut back little by little to focus on three well-balanced meals and two snacks a day. Start your day with a filling breakfast like oatmeal or eggs. Pack a lunch to work or school, as buying lunch can add many hidden carbs to your diet. Make a weekly menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner to guide your shopping trips to avoid overbuying on junk food. Begin practicing mindful eating by paying attention to your body’s hunger cues and eating with intentions. Don’t eat in front of your screen as this can lead to overeating.

Have A Relaxing Day

Blue Monday can be very stressful, so you should find a relaxation technique that works best for you. Relaxation doesn’t take a lot of time and energy to achieve. Draw yourself a warm bubble bath. Try out that face mask or bath bomb you’ve been holding onto for the right time. Burn some of your favorite scented candles. Snuggle up with that book you’ve been wanting to read with your favorite hot beverage. Spend a few minutes listening to calming music, and taking long, deep breaths. Pop some popcorn to enjoy your favorite movie or TV show. Take a guided meditation journey to tranquility. Set up a playlist with your favorite songs to jam out too. Get in touch with your creativity side by randomly doodling on a sketchpad. It doesn’t need to be pretty or perfect.

Changing Your Resolutions

It’s never too late to change your New Year’s Resolutions. January is the first month of the year, so it just started. For many people, a new year means a new beginning, creating new hope for them for the future. To achieve your resolutions, make them as specific as you can. Don’t say “Lose weight”, say “I want to lose 5 lbs.” instead. Limit yourself to no more than three. Making too many will just hurt your chances of completing them. Plan out each resolution step by step. By breaking these large goals into smaller, more manageable bits, you can guarantee you will complete them. This can also give you a scope of what needs to be done to achieve them. Pick resolutions that fit well with your daily routine. If they work for you, then you’ll complete them before you know it.

Setting Up A Budget

4 in 10 homes, or 38.5% of Americans, are struggling financially. Too many people today are living paycheck to paycheck these days. It’s difficult to build a $1,000 savings in this economy. The best way to help dig out of debt is to set up a budget system. Sit down and look through your bills to find out which is necessary and which is not. Cancel any streaming platforms you haven’t used in over a month. Focus on your needs and not your wants. A need is something essential, while a want is something nice to have. Once the bills and expenses are covered, put a little money aside every pay period for splurging. Dedicate one day a month to doing something fun, like going to an event or going out to a fancy new restaurant. By doing this, you’ll lower your risk of burnout.