January Blues? My mood-enhancing kit

It's new year and apparently everything is new and fresh and different and we can all make fabulous things happen in 2015. But I always wonder why a new year gives me a feeling of unease instead of the optimistic glow it seems to give other people. I'm not an overly pessimistic person, but for the last few days I've felt empty and down. And I blame this new year business! It's not that I'm against people embracing the new year and using it as a new start; it's probably just me being a grumpy person now that I'm no longer a twenty-something! I also blame the fast-approaching new term. Going back to work is always a shock to the system after a break, and the idea of getting up at 6am again is miserable!

So to calm myself down a bit, I've been playing around with Photoshop and have created the above collage of lovely, pink, calming things that are currently making me happy! This isn't a favourites post exactly, but it will act as one for this month. Here is my mood-enhancing kit for my January blues:

How to cope with stress: 5 tips

Many of us lead incredibly stressful lives. Are you reading this now, whilst simultaneously thinking that you have a list of things you should have done today? That sums up my thoughts as I write this. It's the start of term and the amount of things I am expected to juggle is enough to make me curl up in the foetal position and start to cry! In fact, I already had a little cry this week because I was so overwhelmed by it all. Maybe I'm not the most qualified to offer advice on this topic, but I'll share my thoughts anyway, why not!