Blue Monday

"The third Monday of January has been awarded the gloomy title due to a combination of post-Christmas blues, cold dark nights and the arrival of unpaid credit card bills. Supposedly the date was calculated by using many factors, including: weather conditions, debt level (the difference between debt accumulated and our ability to pay), time since Christmas, time since failing our new year’s resolutions, low motivational levels and feeling of a need to take action." *

* Reference: Blue Monday 

It's strange how it is Blue Monday and I'm feeling a bit low today - though nothing to do with Christmas or debt. Well, I've been feeling low for the past few weeks but today I found it hard to face the world and my pain and nausea was getting to me too. So I took the executive decision to call into the the Therapeutic Community (TC for short) and called in sick, which was true. I don't take much time off from the TC except for appointments and the occasionally rare sick day; usually I battle on, even when I've been in A&E until the early hours or had a seizure at the TC. 

I think I needed the day off though as when I got of the phone my nausea was peaking so i took some anti-sickness meds and headed to bed, vitally to watch something on my laptop but i was so dizzy and tired I feel asleep and sleep for a few hours.

Coincidentally today some post arrived from one of my pen friends with 'Mr Happy' on it.

*** UPDATE *** After having a nap and doing some blog sorting I'm feeling a bit brighter and I think my meds have kicked in too. Now I'm going to spend the rest of the afternoon just resting, writing a reply to my friend and watching some TV.

Some tips to beat the blues:

• Get outside, even if its sat out in the garden
• Make yourself a hot drink
• Eat well and drink plenty of fluids
• Get dressed
• Connect with friends, whether it me on social media, face-to-face or via pen and paper
• Talk about how you are feeling 
• Express yourself, write or draw; even if its just a scribble on a piece of paper
• If your struggling with sleep try out some sleep hygiene, check out The Sleep Council for handy tips on how to get a better nights sleep
• Try mindfulness
• Exercise if you can, even if it just a wiggle (- I know this is particular hard when you have a chronic illness/disability)
• Get yourself a new hobby, such as learning to crochet
• Try changing your usual routine

Today I am grateful for:

• Mail from a friend
• Having my own bedroom where I can rest and recharge
• Anti-sickness medication