Blue Monday, that specific day of the year – usually the third Monday of January – is known to be the saddest day of the year for those living in the northern hemisphere. But the so-called Monday Syndrome affects a whole lot of people, all over the world, any given Monday. Needless to say… it’s women who mainly suffer from it, immersed in their workload, family affairs and all sorts of chores and errands. Hence, every Monday we witness the same story: a story that features insomnia, anxiety, lack of concentration, anguish and apathy. Even more so in the winter, when our energies seem to fade away.
But there is a way – actually, three – to combat stress. Let’s have a look at them.
Start from your diet. Rethink your weekly menu to boost your defences. Lower outside temperatures may negatively affect our health, rather significantly, causing minor ailments and problems. Food can play a key role: not only can a healthy diet help reduce the extent of these ailments; it can actually prevent some of them, allowing you to cut right through the cold season. During this part of the year it is paramount not to eat food that fills you with toxins. You should, on the contrary, increase your intake of detoxifying food, such as raspberries and beetroot, to be paired with thick pulse soups. Mushrooms containing minerals, proteins and – depending on the species – vitamins A and D, are another precious ally. Phytotherapy too helps, with its products that support and enhance the action of emunctory organs (which carry off waste products), such as the liver, the gall bladder, the kidneys, the lymphatic system, the lungs and the skin.
Keep a ‘gratitude’ diary: jotting down on a notepad all the little things that make you feel good can be extremely beneficial. From smelling the aroma of coffee to receiving an email message, try to analyse and realise how grateful you are for what you have.
Treat yourself to a face massage to push up your cheekbones and boost your mood. Start off gently massaging your cheeks, following circular movements from the centre to the outside. With your index finger, draw the number ‘8’ on the large and small cheekbone, again going from the inside towards the outside. Still with your index finger, press lightly on the points that follow the jawbone line, along the stomach meridian, which is to be found on the cheeks, perpendicularly below the eyes. With your thumb and index give some gentle pinches along your jawbone, starting from the chin and reaching the ear, and then gently pinch your cheek, initially from the bottom to the top, then from the centre towards the outside. Gently rub the palm of your hand on your cheek, from the nose to the ear, then from the lower neck to the jaw and then from the nape to the shoulders, and press lightly when you reach the final spot, to release the accumulated stress.
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