10 Tips to Banish Monday Blues, Bad Moods, Stress and Get Back in Control!

This article has also been published by the author in the health section of her website http://www.tearingmyhairout.com

For most of us, it the first day back at work following time off for Christmas and New Year. For some, it is just another Monday morning. If you are here in London, you will be greeted by darkness, snow and ice on the grounds as you make your way to work this morning.

And as you get stuck in with work, sneaking in a quick sandwich lunch at your desk, you will probably not be out in the daylight until the weekend. It all sounds cold, dark and depressing. It would have been good to have had a less frantic start to the week but it appears that everyone else is on a different timetable to you and suddenly you are inundated with a million and one urgent deadlines.

You feel the benefits of the time off quickly dissipate, as the stress of your workload start to build up. It seems as if you had never been away from work. That holiday seems like a lifetime ago and you are starting to lose control.

But don't worry, help is at hand! Life doesn't need to suck and there is no need to tear your hair out. Check out below our top tips for energising yourself, being productive, retaining control and being happy.

10 tips to maintain control and banish the blues in 2009!

1. Start your day by being good to yourself

Turn your morning routine into a "me" ritual. Have you ever seen cats stretch in the morning? Have a good big stretch when you wake up. As you stretch, a little chant or mantra that you find helpful, will help you wash away any tension. This might sound silly, but try it, it works wonders. If you don't have a mantra that helps you relax, how about something like "I wash away all my worries." "I am goddess, I am beautiful and I am in control."

You can repeat your stretch and mantra even right now at work. If you don't have the luxury of your own private office or feel self conscious stretching in front of your work colleagues, take a toilet break, and stretch away.

As you take your morning shower, close your eyes and really enjoy the warm water trickling all over you. Repeat your mantra and feel yourself attain deep relaxation.

If you are so inclined, nothing would make you feel even more in control like a brisk walk before starting work, (perhaps your walk to the station), or working-out in the gym.

Enjoy a healthy breakfast before you start work and cut down on the caffeine.

2. Breathe

OK, so you are currently in the thick of things and can't exactly go back to the morning ritual above. This is perfectly fine. Whenever you are, and what ever you are doing, you can simply breathe. Your brain requires the right amounts of oxygen and carbon dioxide to function properly.

To achieve an immediate state of relaxation, take a few seconds to practice the following breathing exercise. Sit upright on your office chair, with your feet flat on the floor. Put your hands on your knees, relax your back, and breath in slowly, feeling the heaving from your stomach, and not just your chest. As you breathe in, hold your breathe to the count of 5, and breathe out slowly to the count of 5. Repeat this exercise 5 to 10 times and you will immediately feel yourself getting calmer.

3. Visualisation

The power of visualisation is one of the untapped mysteries of our times. Visualise yourself calm, in control and successful. If you are able to do this whilst doing the breathing exercises above, even better.

4. Make a plan

Nothing helps with retaining control than having a plan in place, ticking off things from your to-do list, and the feeling of regaining control by knowing that you are making some tangible progress. If you are inundated with seemingly demanding deadlines, take a few moments to plan a to-do-list. You may then realise that things are not as hopeless as they seem and that there are things in your list that are not as urgent as others. Be firm, confident, and negotiate deadlines if you are able to.

By making a list, clarifying your goals and mapping out your plan to tackle these tasks, you will feel more in control and will have the satisfaction of feeling less over-whelmed as you tick off things from your list.

5. Stop for lunch and get some sunshine!

Sometimes we get carried away with work and convince ourselves that we are too busy to even stop for lunch! It is so easy to fall into this habit but the reality is that the 15 minutes you spend wolfing down a sandwich with one hand, and tapping on your computer with the other, might not be the most productive use of your time.

Even if you are completely snowed with work, get into the habit of taking 20 minutes out of your busy schedule to have lunch. Buy your sandwich or salad and allow yourself at least 5 minutes in the daylight or sunshine for essential Vitamin D and some fresh air. A recent study indicates that the brain's production of serotonin rises with increasing exposure to sunlight. Serotonin is the important chemical which helps the body perform functions which include control of appetite, sleep, memory and learning, temperature regulation, mood, behaviour, cardiovascular function, muscle contraction, endocrine regulation and depression

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