Staying Sunny When The Weather Isn’t

Like most people, I get a bit fed up around this time of year. My heart might be yelling “Christmas!” but my head is definitely saying “cold/wet/windy/dark”. Add to that the stress of assignments and general day to day pains-in-the-butt and you’ve got yourself a recipe for for a raging case of the Mondays.

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Here are my top tips for shaking off that crabby feeling:

1. Care for your body. Drink enough water, eat some green stuff once in a while and take a multivitamin. Put a little bit of work into taking care of your physical health will reward you tenfold, you can’t really expect to stay healthy on a diet of hula hoops and relentless. Give your body a fighting chance by treating it with a bit of consideration and you’ll feel much better. Also, even though the temperature has dropped, your body still needs lots of fluids to work well. Try and drink more water or juice and less coffee and fizzy pop, you can try carrying a large water bottle around it your bag. You’ll be surprised how quickly you get through it.

2. Care for your mind. Your body is just the slab of meat that houses your brain, it’s nothing without it. It’s just as important to look after your mental health as it is your physical health, so take some time to de-stress. Notice the way you speak to yourself. Is it positive or are you engaged in a constant cycle of negative self-talk? It’s amazing how many people speak to themselves with more cruelty and viciousness than they ever would to someone else. Nurture yourself, support yourself and take time to remember all the things that make you who you are. Most importantly, treat yourself with respect and kindness.

3.Feel stressed about an assignment that’s due in soon? Take a deep breath, remind yourself it’s just words on a page and work through it methodically and calmly. Take a short break if you need to, go for a walk or fix yourself something good to eat, the work can wait for half an hour.
It can often feel like assignment deadlines are the end of the world. Think back to the last time you felt like something was a life or death situation. Odds are, you’re still with us and it wasn’t all that dramatic. Take a moment, put things in perspective and work away at the task in hand. The sense of satisfaction from handing in a piece of work you know you tried your best on is so much greater than panicking, procrastinating and handing in a last minute rush job.

4. Dress appropriately for the weather. I know this sounds simple but nothing is more of a killer to a good mood than being cold or damp all day because you didn’t bring a coat. Or your feet hurting in the wrong shoes. Especially if you are coming into campus for classes. You need to be focussed and comfortable, and you can’t do that if you’re shivering like a chihuahua because you chose a cardigan over a coat when it’s 5 degrees and raining.

5. Finally, the best piece of advice I have ever been given: Treat yourself. You know you work hard, try your best and try and live the best life you can. Sadly, nobody is going to give you a medal for that so you need to step up, appreciate the heck out of yourself and treat yourself every once in a while. Whether that is a fancy latte (yes with cream) or a little something something from the high street, the hard work you put in deserves recognition and you have earned it.

I hope you’re all doing well and keeping warm, I’ll be back soon!