I wrote last year about ‘Blue Monday’, the day that is reputed to be the day that winter looms more forbiddingly than ever, the joy and festivity of Christmas and the New Year has worn off and the drudgery of being back at work really takes its toll. While it’s been proven to not actually be true, there’s no specific day that makes you more or less likely to struggle with mental health issues, the concept of Blue Monday remains. In a regular year, the end of January is enough to make most people feel a bit glum. This year however, might just take the cake.
The National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH), the largest not-for-profit professional association for hypnotherapists in the UK, says around one in seven people are suffering from stress or anxiety at any one time in the UK. January is a particularly busy time for mental health services for a range of reasons, including lack of sunlight, the dreary weather, restrictions on socialising due to the dreary weather and finances post-Christmas. This year, the ongoing uncertainty around the pandemic, the economic fallout of Brexit and all the restrictions that we are living under looking like they’re going to continue for an extended period of time have added to the usual post-January blues.
If you’re one of the people affected, the NHS recommends a range of activities including keeping to a structured routine which includes gentle exercise, getting regular sleep and prioritising nutritious food to help ease a depressed mood. For most of the last year, this blog has focused on giving tips to help people improve their mental health through simple activities such as:
- Taking some time out to do something that you enjoy that you find absorbing.
- Listening to your favourite music,
- Downloading a meditation app,
- Spend some time out in nature.
- Connecting with friends and family,
- Sharing your feelings, rather than isolating yourself or trying to have a ‘stiff upper lip’.
If you’re feeling like everything is unmanageable or struggling with anxiety or depression, a few sessions with a hypnotherapist may help you achieve a different perspective. When you attend sessions with a hypnotherapist you’ll receive targeted and compassionate help with the issues that you’re struggling with as well as learning skills that will help you in the future.
Often, the changes are subtle. By working with your subconscious mind you’ll notice positive shifts in the way you think and feel about situations that you previously found stressful or avoided. You can expect to feel calmer, more confident and less stressed.
You can find a fully-trained, accredited and insured hypnotherapist near you by using the NCH directory, with over 2,000 trained and accredited therapists around the UK you’ll definitely find someone who can help.
Photo by Tomáš Malík from Pexels