We hope that you’re a happier person now than you were on September 1st. We hope that the combination of fitness, food and meditation is lifting your mood and helping you to feel ready for summer. And we hope that you’re confident that you can keep on boosting your mood throughout the year. But just in case, here are some extra tips and tricks to work through the busy days, the blah days and the blue days ahead.
Remember, if it’s all too much, give the Beyond Blue Infoline a call. It’s like a triage area for mental health, where the friendly and qualified counsellors can help you out and point you in the right direction. Call 1300 224 636.
- Listen to music: Uplifting music can lift your mood in seconds. As Bono, from U2 said. “Music can change the world, because it can change people”. At home, in the car, out exercising…. turn up the volume and smile.
- Take a nap: A 15- to 20-minute nap is refreshing and can open your mind up to new ideas and solutions. My personal tip – get up as soon as you wake up. It might seem like a nice idea to doze after a nap, but you’ll end up exhausted.
- Step away: This is especially important when you’re sitting down. Get up, look at a different view for 5 minutes, then return to your desk refreshed. Or if you’re a busy Mum rushing from place to place all day… Stop. Leave work 5 minutes early and stop in a park or by the sea on your way to collect the kids. A few minutes looking at the view or reading a magazine will recharge your batteries before the rest of your day takes over.
- Talk to someone: Wether you’re happy or you’re sad, share it. Take a moment to think about who the best person to talk to is, then give them a call or organise to catch up. And if there isn’t anyone around that you want to talk to? Think about what you’d say to support your best friend if they were in your situation, then apply this advice to yourself.
- Get evidence: If your thoughts are spiralling out of control and you’re overwhelmed by a situation, convincing yourself that you can’t handle it, get your facts straight. Assess the evidence. Have you done anything similar to this successfully before? What makes you so sure that you can’t do it? What would make you more confident that you can do it?
