So I’m back from Borneo, and bursting to tell all about it. That will take me a little while to get written, and right now I’m feeling full of amazing memories but, well, a little bit glum.  August Bank Holiday weekend is over, the weekend that signifies the end of the Summer for me and many other people. Festival season is mostly over (bar Bestival, you lucky lucky campers!), you’re probably back from holidays, and those holiday blues have hit like a lead balloon. That wonderful optimism and excitement I’ve been feeling since, hmmm.. March, has not just ebbed away slowly but has disappeared fast today. I’ve been feeling a bit lost, demotivated, and seem to have forgotten in a short time that I actually have a job, and worse how to do said job. This feeling needs to be banished pronto, and I figured there would be lots of you out there feeling the same, so here are my tips on how to beat the holiday blues, and rekindle those lovely holiday feelings. After all, happiness is a state of mind…

1) Your holiday photos: Share them, look at them, frame them, savour them! 

What better way to beat the blues than looking through your pictures, sharing with friends, and remembering what it was like to be there? There’ll definitely be a lot of new additions to our photo wall going up in the coming weeks, which will perk me up on dark, rainy Mondays to come.

2) That Holiday Feeling: Bottle it and Save it

Along the same lines of  celebrating the memories with photos, I made a promise to myself to remember my holiday positivity, remember all my ideas and how excited I felt for the future, keep up with the ideas and keep up with that feeling. Hence why I’m writing this blog instead of crying into my instant coffee. I’m enjoying writing my blog so much (and I hope you guys are enjoying it too!) so I vowed to keep up with it, step it up a gear, and am full of ideas. I also promised myself I’d work as hard as I can, save, and plan, so I can travel more, and see more of this wonderful world we live in. It might be plans for the future, realising your job really doesn’t make you happy, ideas for things to do, or just remembering how great it was to feel totally relaxed. Whatever it was, try and bottle that feeling, save it, and recreate it where you can.

3) Food food food: Healthy Diet, Healthy Mind. But not right away, yeah?

OK, so this one is a tale of two halves. In an ideal world I’d be saying straight away to keep up your healthy eating habits and the pre-holiday fitness regime, but for me personally the bump down to earth has been too hard not to be eased by a little bit of what I fancy. And, what better excuse than the fact that tomorrow is National Burger Day, where over 200 restaurants around the country will be running promotional offers and 20% off juicy, satisfying burgers? I’m sold. I’ll probably be heading to the Pit Bar in Leeds, to try one of their Black and Blue Burgers; prime beef burger topped with blue cheese, beef brisket, and pickles. Need I say more?

But from then on, I don’t want to make the mistake I’ve made so often of falling into an unhealthy eating slump, so  it’ll be back to feel good, vitamin packed meals. Here are some foods to include;

Strawberries, Oranges, and Mangoes: Or any other foods packed with Vitamin C. It’s not only great for your immune system, but Vitamin C is also proven to be mood boosting.

Mushrooms: And other foods packed with Vitamin D. In sunnier climes, the sunshine will give us a dose of Vitamin D, but back in a decidedly chilly UK, mushrooms will also do this job for us.

Foods packed with Omega 3 Fatty Acids: Not only amazing for your health in every way, but another group of mood boosters. Walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and oily fish like mackerel and salmon are all packed with this.

The most zen-packed, tasty and healthy tea I’ve made to date is Leon’s Superfood Salad. Try it! For non-Londoners, Leon is an award winning London based chain of fast food restaurants, with the mantra that fast food can also be healthy and delicious. They also have a brilliant recipe book and I can’t recommend their food more.

4) Try Something New 

For lots of us (me definitely included!), September will be a lean month and I’ll be trying to spend as little as possible. But there are so many things to do that don’t break the bank. Things to do on a weekday, in particular, break up the working week, and make it a little bit more interesting. I did Tai Chi on holiday, and whilst I don’t think it’s totally my thing (how do you clear your mind?! Is it literally possible to think about nothing?) I did feel very relaxed and peaceful afterwards. So I’ll be joining a local Yoga class, and maybe even a photography course, so I can fill this space with better photos 🙂

5) Plan your next trip (or start saving for it)

It’s all about things to look forward to. I’d love to book a spiritual voyage to India right now, or another wildlife filled adventure in Costa Rica, Belize, and Central America, but frankly that isn’t going to happen just yet. But, I can start researching the next big trip, plan a camping trip to the Lake District, and plan parties with friends; guaranteed to cheer anyone up. My best friend’s hen do is just around the corner, so I’ll be throwing myself into that!! Reality is back, so let’s fill it with things that make us happy, and things to look forward to, until holiday and travel time comes around once again.