6 Steps To Beat The Monday Blues

If you don’t know what Blue Monday is, it’s the third Monday in January (last Monday) and known to be the saddest day of the year. The buzz from the holidays is now over and the first month of the year is coming to an end. It can be REALLY hard for some of us to get back on track and back in the swing of things when the weather is gloomy and our resolutions are starting to disintegrate. There is so much pressure to “have the best year yet” and “start off on the right foot” that we end up setting ourselves up for failure.

Research shows that taking regular vacations can alleviate stress and depression, contribute to an increase in positive emotions and improve overall health. Simply planning and booking a vacation can enhance your well-being, especially during weeks and months of dark and dreary weather. With that thought in mind, I was reminiscing about my most recent sun vacation over the weekend and ended up booking a week-long trip to Maui with Justin!! It really is crazy what the simple thought of a vacation can do to your mind … it instantly changed my Monday blues into an exciting start of the week to start planning, packing and researching!!! You can do it too … follow my 5 steps below and beat the Blue Monday statistics.

1.Book a Trip | Almost three-quarters of Canadians agree that they’re more motivated and productive at work when they know they have an upcoming vacation. Book a trip … ANYWHERE!!!! It can be an hour from your home or a different country. Wherever you choose to go will get you excited!!

2. Start Planning a trip | The more time off we take combined with the joyful effects of simply planning and thinking about a trip, the better we’ll be both before and after our vacation — creating what Sunwing calls a “holiday halo”! So start with planning and thinking about WHERE you want to go and WHEN!

3. Choose your Top 5 Travel Destinations | If you don’t have the money to spend on a vacation right now …. do some research and make a list of the top 5 travel destinations that you WANT to go to!!! Give yourself a timeline and figure out WHEN you will be able to go and HOW you will get there!!

4. Look at photos from a trip | When I was looking at photos from my previous trip to Hawaii … it instantly made me wish I was back there. I got so happy just at the thought of planning and being able to go back. The more pictures I looked at the more I realized I needed to book a trip!

5. Get into Sunwing Mode| The vacation mindset or “Sunwing Mode” starts as soon as you book the time off. Book the time off in your personal and work schedule, whether it’s a year away or sooner so that you can get in this mindset. It will give you something to look forward to during those dreary months leading up to it.

6. Take time for yourself | Taking time for ourselves is particularly important during the weeks and months of dark and dreary weather. The more time we find for relaxation and vacation, the better we’ll feel at both work and home.

What other tips do you have to share with me!? Let me know in the comments below.

xo

Jilly