Combat the January Blues

Feeling down in January can be more common than you can imagine as people start to feel the after effects of Christmas spending, back-to-work regimes, colds and having tighter waistbands. With Blue Monday coming up, which has been labelled as the third Monday in January, MOLLY MAID, the professional domestic cleaning expert, has some simple suggestions to help you combat those common January blues.

The top five tips to combatting the blues and controlling moods are as follows:

• Correct foods: Research suggests that omega-3 fatty acids block chemicals called cytokines that can cause low mood. Oily fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel, tuna), flaxseed oil, nuts and seeds are great sources. It is also vital to keep up good sources of folate in your diet which are contained in vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli and sprouts for example.

• Eating breakfast: There is truth in the old saying ‘Eat a breakfast fit for a King; lunch like a Prince and dinner like a pauper.’ Attempting to reverse festive weight gain by skipping meals in an effort to cut our calories will have a negative impact on your energy levels and, therefore, your mood. Breakfast is all about breaking the longest time your body has had to fast during the day and replenish it with healthy and nutritious food. Ideally, you should be giving your body 25% of your daily calories, which will see you through until lunchtime without reaching for the elevenses! Opting for low-fat, filling and warm breakfasts such as porridge or low fat eggs provides mood-friendly vitamin Bs, iron and zinc, and keeps blood glucose levels steady.

• Winter bugs: This time of year has increasingly seen a surge in winter bugs, especially of the vomiting variety and it tends to hit us hard when our immune systems are weak due to neglect and over-indulgence. However, The Royal College of GPs believe that we can do much to prevent further spreading viruses by simply improving our hygiene around the home from regular and rigorous hand washing to cleaning kitchen surfaces, bathroom, door handles and light switches – in fact anything that has been handled by a potentially ill person.

• Exercise and sleep: We all know that by doing exercise can release endorphins in our bodies which are helpful when treating mild to moderate depression. What would be a more natural treatment than to have your own body treating your symptoms! Thirty minutes of activity (anything from brisk walking to swimming or running) a day could help to tackle the January bulge too. When you combine a regular exercise regime with a consistent sleep pattern consisting of between seven to nine hours, will help your body to reset itself giving rise to a happier and more rested you!

• Friends: It is so important to nurture your friendships at this time of year – loneliness can be a very debilitating thing. When the weather is cold and it’s dark, it’s all too easy to stay indoors and hide away. Why not think about joining a club or even just picking up the phone to a friend and remember that a problem shared, is a problem halved!

Good luck and keep up the good work!

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