People

Summer vacation is over; days full of sunshine are giving way to shorter days, less sunlight and dreary days. Many people experience a dip after that long summer: the autumn blues! Our energy level drops, we don't exactly get to sleep, we are more irritable and moody, we experience problems with concentration and memory ...

There's nothing wrong with a dip, but don't allow it to take you deeper.

SenNet magazine offers tips for giving the discomforts of our daily existence a place during this period:

Breathe consciously
Deep breathing increases oxygen supply throughout the body, allowing muscles to relax and lowering blood pressure. Conscious and rhythmic breathing is an excellent way to help you calm down when you feel stressed. Just focusing on your breathing instead of the stressful situation at hand can help you feel better.

Rely on your network
Social support from family and friends leads to a sense of belonging and security rather than loneliness. With a friend or family member, you can vent your frustrated emotions.

Express those emotions
Crying causes our bodies to release endorphins or “feel-good hormones. These promote a sense of calm and well-being that causes the body to go into a calmer state. This crying with which we release stress and pent-up emotions does not interfere with our daily functioning. If crying disrupts your work or personal life, it may indicate a larger problem. If so, discuss this with your doctor.

Choose a creative hobby
Research has shown that music helps reduce your anxiety and has a calming effect. In addition, music has been found to produce feelings of greater control over your life, as well as reduced pain in individuals with chronic illnesses.
Visual arts - such as drawing, painting, collage or card making or textile work - have been shown to provide an opportunity to give meaning to emotional pain, and to increase feelings of self-worth.
Movement-based expression - such as dancing or acting - has been shown to increase self-awareness and body image, and improve problem-solving abilities and self-esteem
Reward yourself

Treat yourself to something special: something you enjoy! This could be getting a massage, buying new shoes, making your favorite dessert, going to the movies ... Take time for yourself and pamper yourself.

Allow yourself a time-out from time to time
A walk in nature, some basic stretching exercises (even if we are not big yoga practitioners) ... can help promote positive emotions.

(FVDV for Tagtik/Source: SenNetMagazine/Illustration picture: Unsplash)