Grey Skies And A Sunny Start

I was at church on Sunday and there was an air of 'flat-pan-cake' about the place. We are a small group and there is no denying it; January and February have been pretty bleak. Grey skies, bugs that are keeping people indoors, cold and damp weather has seeped into joints and bones are tiered. If you are in the U.K at the moment there is not much color to be enjoyed.

Even the Chiropractic Centre in Godalming that has been recently taken-over has been painted a slate grey with dark green window frames. They do great work there, but to be honest, as I walk along the river and look over the lamas lands all I see now is a squat grey unwelcoming building instead of the happy cream/yellow that used to brighten the horizon. Personally I don't think it does justice to the people who work there as they are fantastic Practitioners.

So, what is this blog about today? It's about five things to help us think 'UP'!

We all need things in our lives that will pull us through to summer, so here are my top tips of the day.

1) Start your day with color.

Instead of your normal cup of tea, why not try zesting an orange over a cup and adding some mint leaves and pouring hot water over it for a lovely tisane? I got this one from Jamie Oliver, and I have to say that it makes me smile in the mornings.
The other thing that I like to do is make a smoothy for breakfast. This morning I shoved oats, mixed seeds, kiwi, banana and a mango in a blender and zapped it up with some orange juice. Totally useless if you are a diabetic, but it did give me the lift I needed!

2) Read a book.

This may sound like a silly idea, but I am sure you will feel it pays off. Instead of watching T.V as soon as you sit down tonight, make a hot chocolate or a herb tea, switch a nice lamp on and light some candles so the room, and yourself, are nicely relaxed. Then go pick up that novel you have been meaning to read for a while and enjoy it for a good half hour or more. It's not allowed to be a self help book or a fact book, it should be a good story.  Then, if you have had enough you can pop the T.V on. Reading a novel helps you unwind and allows your imagination to take over. I got the top tip from FLYlady and I have to say it's a winner.

3) Invite some mates over for a meal at your house.

Last week David and I were invited to an impromptu curry night on a Thursday. A friend of ours got a bunch of us round, handed us a take-out menu from the local curry house and we all ate together. It was an off the cuff thing that only took an email to organize and no one had to cook. For £10 a head it was a very laid back and relaxed way to spend a bitterly cold night with good friends. You don't have to fight this bleak winter on your own. You'll be surprised how many people want to be with you and hang out as long as you ask ... we need the invite sometimes!

4) Wear colorful clothes. 

I have to say, there has been a great amount of grey and black around lately and we don't need to add to the colour pallet of Slate. You don't have to hit the shops, just see what you've got.
Have a good look in your wardrobe tonight and pull out everything that has some colour to it and that makes you feel good. Make some outfits up and put them together on hangers. This is another FLYLady tip which cuts down faffing time in the morning as you only have to pull out one hanger that has all your clothes ready for the day. However, if you look at your accessories as well, like your scarves, gloves, jewelry and so on, you may find that you have a lot of colour in there that you can add to your day. I believe in accessorizing can add a lot of fun and lift an outfit out of the depths of 'bleak'.
Men; you have no accuse not to do this too. Have a look at your suits, shirts, ties, scarves, coats and soaks. Add colour were you can and don't just settle for black and white. A pop of colour will make you and all those around you feel less low.

5) Do something different. 

If you fancy getting some adrenalin going and your spirits up, why not try something different and go climbing? It's fun to do with a friend, or you can phone up the local climbing centre and join a group. It's easy, you don't have to be super fit and if I can do it any one can! Give it a go and see if you enjoy something a bit different from the gym or swimming. You never know, you could be on to a whole new thing!
Don't fancy climbing? Go to a dance class or a yoga session. Just try something that you have always wanted to but never got round to. Don't make the winter even more boring by stuffing yourself onto a tred-mill. Yawn!

So, hope it helps and that you get some mental inspiration to lift you out of the fog.

Happy Tuesday!