This month, Blue Monday quietly arrived on a typical cold but beautiful sunny day. Despite its reputation as one of the saddest days of the year, it passed by without much attention drawn to it. This got us reflecting at Peak Resilience on the commonality of feeling blue. As counselors, we’re not immune to periods of sadness or depression while navigating life’s highs and lows. With that in mind, we wanted to extend some solidarity in this shared human experience of the blues by discussing how we cope.
When I feel blue I co-regulate with my dog Willow. She’s very soft and warm, and I feel so soothed petting her or giving her a big hug.
When I’m feeling down and blue, I go outside (no matter how crappy the weather) and breathe in the fresh, cool air. I also call or make plans with someone I love.
I like to listen to music and move my body when I feel blue. I also sometimes watch mega cute baby & puppy videos on youtube.
I would say that when I’m blue, I like to change into clothes that feel really good on my body, something soft or loose-fitting so I can feel just a little more at ease.
When I’m blue, I either climb into bed and rewatch some of my favourite movies or I hug somebody that I love.
Umm..when I am blue, I eat ( hmm.. emotional eating..can I say that?
), but a healthier blueish day remedy is dishwashing in my pj’s, cooking myself a comfort snack and then settling in front of my TV for a really nice Netflix binging.
So many different versions of blue for me, and I try to just notice what I need in each moment to figure out what to do. Some of my go-tos include calling a friend and leaving a fake/weird voicemail that’s funny/light, and having an unspoken agreement that they call and leave a fake response to the fake message.
When I’m blue, I first remind myself that it’s okay to feel this way and try to savour a soothing hot drink/soup
hot choco, matcha latte, and cream of corn soup are some favourites!
What i would do is put on a song that brings me comfort and sing my heart out dramatically as if i’m an artist performing live at a concert
When I feel blue, I open the windows to breathe in some fresh air!!
When I’m blue, I cuddle with my doggo and reach out to a friend. If I have the time and energy, I also find cooking something warm and comforting really helps me – my go-to is a potato leek soup that a friend taught me how to make many years ago.
I do some body shaking/bouncing (often referred to as intuitive movement) that helps bring to the surface what might be a bit stuck. I do it to super loud music and it makes me ball my eyes out and I feel so much better after.
For me, when I am feeling blue I move my body by either going out for a walk/hike or with my yoga mat doing deep breathing and stretches. Always works for me!
Thank you to Kate for collaborating and writing this blog post!
