Heyyy,
I usually find this time of year quite tricky; it’s when the ‘new year, new me’ feeling has worn thin and all I can think about is the grey sky.
Now the spring equinox has arrived, we can officially start looking forward to brighter and warmer days.
If you still need cheering up though, I have a toolkit, which I’ve shared below, to help me get through the day smiling – I hope it helps you, too.
Lighting candles
There is nothing that romanticises my life more than lighting candles; on the days when we don’t see much sun I find it particularly comforting.
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Some cute candles from across the internet:
Blue wax swirl candle – Matalan £11
Large ceramic candle in patchouli and plum – Habitat £11.25
Capri blue sandstone mini glass jar candle – Anthropologie £24
Overose pink anthurium candle – Browns £46
Coastal Cypress and sea fennel signature candle – Molton Brown £42
Tea
I’m a BIG herbal tea drinker; it makes my day when I have a new flavour to try. If you’re after some great tea then I’d recommend Bird and Blend – they have the most special concoctions.
Here’s three of my personal favourites:
Peppermint cream tea bags – Bird and Blend from £8.45
Dozy Girl tea bags – Bird and Blend from £6.55
Creme Egg – Bird and Blend from £6.55
Slow cooker
Investing in a slow cooker has been one of the best things I’ve done for myself recently; coming down to cooked porridge in morning is such a treat. Best 15 pounds I ever spent.
Crockpot 1.8 L – Argos £15
Silence
Distracting myself with a podcast when I’m, say, cleaning, showering or driving is my default, but it’s not very good for my brain to be constantly consuming information. We need silence sometimes; it can improve our sleep, lower our blood pressure as well as countless other health benefits. I’ve been making an effort to do mundane tasks in the company of my own thoughts and it’s been revolutionary.
Read more: The House Party: Really Good, Actually
Special mug
As small and as silly as this sounds, having a warm drink out of my favourite mug brings me a whole lot of joy. If you don’t have your own special mug then I’m giving you full permission to go and get one – you deserve it!
Here’s two I think are particularly special:
Stoneware cup set of two – ARKET £18
Stoneware yellow mug – H&M £8.99
Yoga
As much as I love what exercise does for me physically, I’m aware of what it does for me mentally, too. This means, if I fancy swapping HITT for yoga one day, then I’m going to listen to my gut and do just that.
Headspace
This app has a lot to offer; I can see why it’s so popular. I used to use YouTube meditations, but having Headspace on my phone makes it convenient and the quality is better.
Daffodils
Yellow is scientifically proven to bring us joy so having yellow daffodils in your home is the perfect way to lift your mood. And who doesn’t love flowers.
Reading
Swapping after work TV for reading has been big for me recently, not only does it improve my sleep health, it stops me watching things for the sake of it.
Are there a few nights a week you could try this too?
Some of my favourite books:
Maybe you should talk to someone, Lori Gottlieb – Amazon from £7.99
Attached, Dr Amie Levine and Rachel S.F. Heller, M.A. – Amazon from £5.99
Sorrow and Bliss, Meg Mason – Amazon from £4.99
Manifest, Roxi Nafousi – Amazon from £6.12
Saturn Returns, Caggie Dunlop – Amazon from £7.99
Hair and make-up
When it comes to hair and make-up, I’m all for a bare face and a messy bun, but when I’m feeling out of sorts, doing my hair and make-up can help…to a certain extent. I see this like ‘faking it till you make it’; if you can trick your mind into feeling good with some curls and a red lip then why not, hey?!
Tidying
The more things going on in my brain, the less energy I have to clean and tidy, but I know the impact your environment has on your mental health. If you’re able give your place a spring clean then you might feel better for it.
Grab some good-looking cleaning products like the ones below, for some extra motivation:
HAY assorted cotton and cellulose dish sponges, set of three – Selfridge’s £13
Thanks for joining me for another weekly edit and I’ll see you again in the next one.
L x
If you want to hear more from, Lindsey Isla, then head to my Instagram and TikTok to keep me company during the rest of the week.