January 23, 2017, by Words on Words

7 Ways to Beat Blue Monday

This blog post was written by second year English student, Josie Severn.

In recent years, it has been observed that the third Monday in January is officially the most depressing day of the year due to Christmas comedown, bills and failed New Year’s resolutions. If, like me, you’ve spent the Christmas holidays watching Love Actually on a loop and indulging in too many Quality Streets then you’re probably lacking in motivation. With January exams and deadlines in sight, I have put together my best tips to stay motivated and as stress free as possible in the New Year.

1. Find your tune

I know many people say that listening to music while studying is distracting and counter-productive but I would suggest otherwise. I’m not suggesting you blast out the Crisis pre-drinks playlist but sometimes in a busy house/halls some chilled music is best to keep you in the zone and motivated. My personal favourite is the ‘Easy’ playlist by Spotify.

2. You’re never fully dressed without…

Sometimes studying in your pyjamas is comfortable and the thought of getting dressed up to do nothing else is painful. But I’ve found getting dressed, styling my hair and putting on a bit of makeup actually makes me more motivated and ready for work in the day ahead.

4. Treat yourself

Writing essays and revising is tiring and sometimes repetitive, so you do need small breaks to remain focused. I find small treats like catching up on my favourite TV shows after writing a certain amount of words, a cup of tea after revising a topic or a snack makes it a bit more bearable.

4. Read

This is going to sound crazy to all of my fellow English students, because keeping on top of reading is high on our priority list, but hear me out. Sometimes we have to admit that our texts can be, while enjoyable, heavy going. This Christmas I re-read some of my favourite books and it reminded me why I love my course so much and made me a lot more motivated to start my essays.

5. Sleep solves everything

Sleep is important to perform at your best but sometimes at this time of year our brains just will not switch off. Creating a cut-off point for when to stop working, for example 8pm, gives you some time  to empty your stressful thoughts from your mind and wind down before sleep.

6. Friends

I don’t mean catching up with Rachel, Ross, Joey, Phoebe, Monica and Chandler, unfortunately! But if things are getting too stressful, speaking to a friend and reminding yourself that everyone is in the same boat can be reassuring.

7. Be Yourself

Without sounding too contradictory to my previous point, try not to compare yourself to the progress of others too much. Everyone has their own study techniques that work for them and everyone has unique ideas. Do what works for you and stick to it.

What are your best pieces of advice for beating blue Monday?

Josie Severn

[Images: Pixabay / CC0 1.0]

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