Hello there my darlings! As holidays are upon us and I keep writing my Christmas Gift Guides for this year, I had a thought. Not everyone is a happy go lucky kid during the holidays. Shocking I know but there many people out there that hate them!
And I am not just talking about being a Grinch or hating shopping and the commercialization of Christmas. I am talking about being blue during the festivities, feeling depressed and in a bad mood.
I get it! I used to be like that from time to time. But since I hated being in that mood, I developed some tricks to help me snap out of it.
Tea
I used to say “Be British” when I was feeling down. So, I’d establish a habit of drinking tea in the afternoon. I would go the whole nine yards too. I would boil water and put it in a teakettle. Then I’d use a very nice quality loose leaves English tea and set the timer to let it steep accordingly.
The routine is relaxing and as you focus on making your tea, your miles-a-minute mind takes a much needed rest.
Then as you sip your tea, all the great ingredients it contains help soothe and calm you while keeping you alert. For me tea is the best of two worlds. It’s not enough caffeine to make your nerves on edge like coffee does but it’s not going to put you to sleep either.
Music
This is a very potent mood swinger! Music can lift you up or totally put you down so choose wisely. And I am pretty sure Christmas songs over and over again can make you mad!
I am a hard rock girl through and through so that and classical music would be my music of choice. I’d steer away of my favorite operas, since they sound really sentimental to me and go for the more dynamic songs. However, there was one song that I would never tire of hiring and although it was the definition of moody songs, it kind of work beneficially on me.
The sound of silence from Simon and Garfunkel.
I’ve always turned to this song when I was feeling down. I still do. And the last couple of years I love the version of Disturbed.
I mean the lower octave used in the start is a game changer. One of those times when the rendition is as good as the original!
Friends
This is self-explanatory isn’t it? Either your friends love the holidays or not, they can be a light at the end of your tunnel and help you through.
Let them take you out for a drink or dinner and talk about everything or nothing. They are your friends they can handle your silence too!
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve went for a book when I was feeling out of shorts. It’s my number two therapy regime.
Grab a book and let it guide you through the pace of the story. Loose yourself in the troubles or joys of the characters and let your own problems sit in the corner for a while. Who knows, at the end of the book your spirits may have lifted. Or not! Either way an hour spent reading a book is an hour of your life well spent!
Crafts
This is my number one trick to lift my spirits and make me smile! Even if you are not a seasoned crafter you can still gain the rush of the endorphins once you make something you like.
Try a coloring book for adults or just doodles on your diary.
I highly reccoment trying crochet. There are tons of videos on Youtube even for someone who hasn’t held a crochet hook in his hands before.
Cooking
It doesn't work for everybody but keeping busy with preparing a meal serves a dual purpose.
One, it will keep you busy with your hands and your head may catch a break and two, you'll get to eat some comfort food. That's if you know how to cook. If you don't then you're screwed but that's what friends are for ;)
That's it, that's what I used to do for a lift-me-up. Now I don't have to do much, I just take a look at Natalia. She smiles at me and I am set!
What about you? What are you doing to keep the holiday blues at bay?
Lots of love
