It isn’t all doom and gloom
They say that today is the most depressing day of the year, and for good reason: it’s dark, it’s chucking it down with rain, Christmas is a distant memory, and summer feels aeons away. While this can be a challenging time of year, it isn’t all  doom and gloom. Here are a few ways you can make the best of Blue Monday.

1. Get outside

This may be easier said than done if you’re at work for every daylight hour, but trust us on this one: make time, even if it’s just a ten-minute drizzly stroll down the lane. It will help. It’s easy to find yourself brooding about how dark and wet it is if you’re stuck indoors, but it’s rarely as bad as it seems – and spending time outside will do you good.

2. Plan something good

The days are already getting longer. Before you know it, the trees will be in leaf and the sun warm again. So now is the time to make plans for something special when better conditions arrive – a long-distance hike, perhaps, or a summit you’ve had on your ticklist for a while.

3. Head north

It may be grey and dreary where you are, but in the Lake District and the Scottish Highlands there is a sparkling world of snow and ice to be discovered. If you have the skills – and if conditions are favourable – then the view from a snowclad summit is the perfect antidote to those winter blues, because winter can be spectacular too.

4. Read an outdoor book or magazine

A good book by a talented outdoor writer – or the latest issue of The Great Outdoors – is the perfect way to keep the enthusiasm burning. These stories provide inspiration and the drive we need to keep risking the weather and seeking the subtle rewards of hillwalking and mountaineering. They’re also great sources for trip ideas, which ties in to point two above.

5. Put FOMO in its place

Browsing Instagram or Facebook, it’s easy to get the idea that everyone is having more outdoor fun than you. But don’t be deceived: your favourite outdoor blogger or superstar TGO writer is probably struggling with the winter blues just as much as you are, and the best way to beat the ‘fear of missing out’ is to unplug, schedule some free time, and go climb a hill.
Image: © Harald Schmidt / Shutterstock