Down Days & Duties!

Down Days are something that we all experience….they are unavoidable! Sometimes these can be triggered by negative life experiences, such a bereavement or the break-down of a relationship, the inability to conceive a much longed for child etc.  Experiences such as these are out of our control.  Occasionally we may also suffer from episodes of depression in our life, due to no identifiable reason.  We may just experience feelings of dread or hopelessness.  In extreme cases it may be necessary to visit your G.P. and he/she may prescribe medication to help you!

While episodes of low mood or “down days” are inevitable, there are ways that we can help ourselves to feel better!

I always like to begin with a simple prayer or alternatively lighting a blessed candle helps me to instantly feel at ease, when I can’t summon up the concentration or will power to pray!

When you are feeling at your absolute worst, people may tell you things like “time is a great healer” and as hard as it may seem to believe this at the time, it is actually true!  No-one ever stays in the same state of either sadness or happiness forever.  Everything changes and “down days” do become happy days again at some point!

If you wake up feeling low and hopeless the hardest thing to do will be to get out of bed, but as hard as this is, it is what you must do.   Lying in bed thinking about getting up, washed and dressed can seem like a mammoth task.  My advice is to get up, put on a cosy dressing gown, make yourself a nice cup of tea (with a slice of toast if you can manage to eat), then light a blessed or fragranced candle and sit down in the living room, relax and drink your tea, while breathing in the lovely aroma from the candle.  Don’t burden yourself with thoughts of things that need doing.  Just know that you have lots of time and everything will be done in good time!

When you are finished your tea, go back to your room and pick out your favourite clothes (they should be comfortable and make you feel attractive). Then have a shower using using your favourite products.  Afterwards you may like to treat yourself to a wee facial, dry and fix your hair and possibly even apply some makeup (if it makes you feel better), then get dressed in the nice clothes that you have laid out to wear.

Afterwards you should prepare yourself something nice to eat.  Eat whatever you desire and relax and enjoy your food.  Today is not the day to worry about housework (remember that you have lots of time and the housework can wait).  When you have eaten perhaps you could go outside for a short walk (weather permitting).  You could also book yourself a treat at your local salon, perhaps a massage or facial  know that you will have this to look forward to!

Afterwards you may like to phone a friend for a little chat and maybe arrange a visit from them or you could go to them if you feel up to it.  If you begin to feel guilty or overwhelmed by all the things that you feel you should be doing but aren’t, then just sit and take some deep breaths and know that you are doing what is right for you, right now…sometimes you just need to recuperate your brain, in order to be able to function!Now is the time to make yourself a nice cup of tea and treat yourself to some chocolate, as you watch a feel good movie!

As it draws closer to the evening time, if you don’t feel like making dinner, order your favourite take-away meal and enjoy.  If you feel up to it after you have eaten, put your empty containers into the bin and pop your dishes into the dishwasher (it will make the kitchen easier to face tomorrow).

If you are now getting a feeling of dread because it is getting closer to bed-time (and you worry about lying awake all night), then just take a moment to pause.  You need to take control here and change your mind-set! Bed-time is something to look forward to!  Turn on an Aroma Diffuser and add a few drops of Lavender or Rose essential oil to give your bedroom a nice relaxing ambience.  Draw a nice hot bath adding relaxing bath salts and just shut down and relax while you soak in the bath.  Afterwards dry yourself with big, warm, fluffy towels and put on fresh comfy pyjamas.

Make yourself a cup of bed-time Camomile Herbal Tea and go into your lovely ambient room, spraying some good-night pillow spray on your pillow, before getting into bed.  If you still don’t feel ready to sleep read a chapter of a book or listen to soft music and know that sleep, say or listen to a relaxing bedtime prayer and know that sleep will come to you and you will wake up refreshed in the morning, ready to take on a brand new day!

I know that for some of us that have children or work responsibilities a day like this may not seem possible, but try and arrange for a relative or close friend to take care of your children for a day, while you take a day off (if you don’t look after yourself now, you may get so mentally and physically ill, that eventually you will need help and possibly even for a longer period than just one day)!

Everyone needs to take some time out occasionally….You Have A Duty of Care To You! So be Kind to Yourself!!!

I am always available for a chat and would love to hear from you, so feel free to contact me…

Lots Of Love

Ciara xx