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You are here: Home / STYLE / How to be happy in February

How to be happy in February

February 2, 2017 by Molly 3 Comments

Nathalie Bond Organics

Everywhere I look at the moment it seems there’s relief at seeing the back of January. For us, weirdly, January wasn’t too bad. In fact, I always find February a trickier month. The weather is often dismal, spring still feels so far away, and the initial burst of enthusiasm over new year’s goals has disappeared into the distance. However, I reckon if I stick on the right track then February could go the same way as January and not end as a total write-off. Here’s how to be happy in February, according to the rules of my January survival experience:

1. Give yourself things to look forward to

The reason everyone hates Mondays is because the weekend still feels so far away. And why do we love the weekend? Because we treat ourselves, do fun things and relax the rigorous routines. The same is true of January. The summer is months in the future and without little things and experiences to look forward to, life is dull.

Last month, we had a great weekend away in Bristol, which was the perfect antidote to the January blues. For February, the NLM and I have a child-free night away planned, which we’re both really looking forward to. This week we also booked our flights to Paris for a weekend away just the two of us in April (I owe my parents serious favours for all the childcare help!), and I’m currently knee deep in summer holiday planning too. 

Working from home

You might say this is a distraction from the everyday grind of life, but I think having things to look forward to is a much-needed pick-me-up and solution to feeling frazzled, especially when the weather’s awful. It doesn’t have to be a weekend away, though. It could be something as simple as a special Friday night meal, or a session of binge watching on Netflix. These little things buoy us along and are vital in the search for how to be happy.

2. Stay organised

Having kids has forced me to relax my inner Monica to a certain extent, but I always know I’m heading for a mini meltdown if I start to feel overwhelmed by my To Do list. For me, there’s nothing worse than having a huge list of work deadlines and no time to do them. I feel panicked and anxious, snappy with the kids and am probably not the most fun person to be around. Staying organised is the key to happiness. This month I was sent a beautiful organiser from Pen Heaven and it’s proven really helpful in keeping track of my many deadlines, kids’ school and club commitments and family weekend plans. Ultimately, this makes me feel more in control and less like I’m hurtling toward some kind of life crisis.

Pen Heaven organiser

3. Pamper pamper pamper

There’s nothing more indulgent than a long soak in a hot bath and then taking the time to massage in a load of fancy creams afterwards, is there? There have been a couple of evenings in the last few weeks where I’ve gone to town with the pampering and done the whole shebang – face mask, hair mask, detoxing bath salts, candles – the works.

Nathalie Bond Organics 2

I was sent a sample of the newly repackaged Nathalie Bond Organics skin balm which is just the thing to put on after a long soak. Made with rose geranium, patchouli and calendula it smells good enough to eat and glides over your skin in meltingly smooth fashion. I’ve used it on my face, after my regular moisturiser, as a night cream, smothered it all over my dry lips and even rubbed it into dry spots on my knees and ankles (all the glamour).

4. Exercise

I have a real love-hate relationship with exercise. As a kid and teenager I did loads of dance and swimming, but then I grew up and discovered wine and the joy of hangover junk food. I’ve always dabbled in yoga and gone through phases of shifting my backside on some sort of exercise fad (there was a Zumba phase, an aqua-aerobics phase and even a boot camp phase), but nothing – except for yoga – has really stuck.

Recently, though, I’ve had a bit more time to myself as Baby Girl started pre-school a couple of mornings a week. So I’ve taken up running two mornings a week, before getting home to do some work. And I’ve found a trampoline interval training class at a local trampoline park which is horrendous and strangely satisfying in equal measure. I think the fact I’m starting to see results is helping to spur me on and actually begin to enjoy the exercise (I’ve lost 7lbs this month and my jeans no longer feel like they’re cutting off the blood circulation in my waist). So I’m keen to continue with it and keep going through to the summer. (Please remind me of this if I start flagging over the next month.)

Tired mum face

Other vital ingredients in the search for how to be happy include: giving yourself a break (early nights to bed, read a book, carve out time to slob out on the sofa and watch your favourite box set etc), making the most in a break in bad weather and getting outdoors – even if it’s only a local walk – and, most importantly, CLEAN SHEETS! I can not stress enough the simple “Aaaaaah” moment I feel when I slide between my fresh sheets every Sunday evening. It makes saying goodbye to the weekend that bit easier.

What things helped you get through January? 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Beauty, STYLE Tagged With: exercise, happiness, happy, me time, mindfulness, motherhood, mum me time, pampering, self care

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Comments

  1. Carie @ Space for the Butterflies says

    February 5, 2017 at 9:16 am

    I was glad to move into February mostly because January was always going to be insanely busy with work things, and it duly was! February means we survived (and we’re one step nearer to March when two of my team come back to work!) Your Paris trip sounds very exciting – we’re hoping to have a kid free night during half term and I can’t wait, even without such a lovely destination!!

    Reply
  2. Mel Wiggins says

    February 2, 2017 at 4:02 pm

    Good on you Molly – I love the idea of planning some special things in. Dave and I need to do that more! Paris in April (I can vouch we went that time of the year) is SO nice! I find going to bed at a decent time helps ease the winter blues – tiredness and dark days can be a troubling combo xo

    Reply
  3. Alice says

    February 2, 2017 at 3:57 pm

    I HATE January with a passion so may well bookmark this post to come back to! For me, feb is that little bit closer to spring so it makes me happier 🙂

    I really love that organizer! Great colour x

    Reply

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Hello and welcome! I'm Molly Forbes - podcaster, presenter and blogger with a passion for positivity, confidence and body image chat. Regularly writing and vlogging about empowering female issues from a motherhood angle, I also cover lifestyle and fashion topics for like-minded mums who want to rediscover themselves after having children. Thanks for stopping by! Read More…

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Instagram post 2196739703256196003_27126085 No #pantsbants pictures or banging festive outfits here tonight I’m afraid, but I wanted to give you a bit of an update on the #FreeFromDiets campaign (a movement to end diet promo around kids, if you’re new here). ❤️
Two weeks ago we had our first round table discussion and came away with loads of things to work on. We met with @GirlGuidingUK who had some amazing ideas, and later that week @antidietriotclub met with @Sadiq and told him all about the campaign too 🎉
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The full report from the round table is available to download on the website if you’d like to find out more. Or you can read my blog post on Mother’s Always Right. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
One of our ideas - and something that’s got lots of votes in our survey - is to create teacher workshops for school staff CPD sessions, giving teachers the tools to promote positive body image in schools and counteract some of the negative messages many kids are walking past on the diet ads on their school railings every single day. This is definitely something we’ll work towards on our list for 2020, along with some BIIIIG, FUUUUUN events FOR YOU (and fundraising activity!). 🎉❤️🙌
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In the meantime I’ll keep talking about it, and keep hoping you will too. Share the petition, share the website, download the template letter in the resources page of the website if you want to write to your kids’ school if it’s covered in diet and weight loss marketing. And keep fighting the good fight. We’re only just getting started 💪 Another huge thank you to the babe that is @welldefined_ for constantly having my back with this campaign and working so hard to bring about CHANGE. Because our kids deserve better ❤️ PS lots of people messaging me today about that study suggesting we should put exercise targets on food labelling. Safe to say I’m not a fan. Some thoughts in Stories. Right, I’m off for a bath and an early night. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#BodyHappyKids #bodylove #DitchTheDiet #bodyimage
Instagram post 2196019642233005439_27126085 Life’s too short to save your Christmas party outfits for the Christmas party. (Yes, I wore a faux fur coat in my kitchen - I don’t get out much 😂) 🎄
My kitchen also seems like the perfect location to say you’re allowed to eat what you want and wear what you want this party season. You don’t have to do a pre-Christmas diet to earn the right to eat all the yummy festive food or wear all the sequins. The good, important, big events in your life do not have to be bookmarked with dieting and restricting, despite what the multi million pound weight loss industry tells you. ⭐️
If you’re struggling to get past the diet bookmarking habits ask yourself - “How would I feel if my kid was doing this?” How would you feel if your kid was counting calories in order to allow themselves a roast dinner and Christmas pudding in a couple of weeks? How would you feel if your kid said they shouldn’t wear sparkly sequins or a bright festive dress because their body wasn’t “right”? It might help. I know it helps me, anyway. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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#EveryBodyIsAPartyBody #DitchTheDiet #bodylove #bodyimage #wiwt #ootd
Instagram post 2195283703453989210_27126085 NOT a before and after. Just a reminder that you don’t know what someone looks like under their clothes. They might be wearing shapewear up to their armpits or have a padded bra on. They might have cellulite, stretch marks, thread veins, rolls. They might have a smaller, smoother body than you but be riddled with self doubt. Point is: don’t compare, don’t assume you know what’s going on underneath someone’s clothes or skin. And don’t make judgements about a person based on what you can see. Often the most interesting and intricate parts of a person are the bits you can’t see at all, even underneath the clothes. ❤️
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#bodyimage #bodylove #selflovematters #loveyourselffirst
Instagram post 2194558656166955175_27126085 This video is an antidote to Insta-envy, if you’re in need of a healthy dose of real life in your feed and a reminder that sometimes the bits that aren’t Insta-perfect are the bits you’ll treasure most and laugh about in years to come. 🎄
Throw back to three years ago today when everything that could have gone wrong on our festive family Christmas tree day, did. 😬
To commemorate what’s become one of our funniest memories and possibly my favourite ever family video, I’ve edited it up into a one minute Insta special. Use it as a reminder that you never know what’s beyond the Insta-frame and that real life is never meant to be perfect. MERRY BLOODY CHRISTMAS 😂🎅🏻🎄 #ItsA7FootTreeMolly #HoHoHo
Instagram post 2193851410856430930_27126085 Perfecting the art of the candid shot. I want them to always take up space and never flinch at a photo. My pictures with the kids are messy and impromptu and fun, because I don’t want them to learn from me that in order to present yourself to the world you need to take 10,000 artfully angled photos to get the one money shot. Life’s too short. As someone who makes a partial income from Instagram that’s probably a golden rule broken right there. But we all know rules are made to be broken, especially when they’re rubbish ones. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#documentyourdays #motherhoodalive #mumlife #motherhoodthroughinstagram
Instagram post 2193123494942025535_27126085 This December I will mainly be dressed as Father Christmas #hohoho #dresslikeaSanta #whatSantaworetoday #wiwt #ootd
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