Blue Monday Giveaway!

I have always found January a horrid month!

The Boys seem to be grouchy and suffering from “January Blues” but rationally they have every right to be.

We have spent over a month preparing for Christmas, shopping, facing the maddening crowds and then the panic to make sure that our family time is perfect.

We have had time off work and our normal routine is swapped with family enjoyment, late nights and over indulging in food and drink.

However, around a week later and we are back to work, back to early mornings, school runs, making lunches and the true concept of adult and parent life continues.

We had a week to forcefully wake ourselves up and get our children ready and organised. We dragged ourselves back into a routine that I know a lot of people were dreading; especially when there were hundreds of Facebook statuses and tweets saying exactly that.

The weather is dreadful where it is cold and raining and we still have dark mornings and it becoming dark despite around 5pm. Who wouldn’t feel depressed, grumpy and tired?

Today, Monday the 16^th, is officially Blue Monday the most depressing day of the year!

Depression is horrible. I don’t mean the type of depression when you are feeling a little gloomy but medically depressed.

It is level of darkness that can consume you.

I know it well. There have been moments in my life where I entered into depths of darkness. I started hurting myself only so I could physically hurt as much as I felt inside. I despised everything about me.  I felt alone and isolated. Everything around me seemed to be falling apart and I had nothing that I could clearly see to ground me. That depressive darkness is often so much more.

I have never hidden the fact on this blog that I have had varied mental health difficulties in the past and some continuing issues now.  I have a strong stance that men should talk about all of their issues rather than just plodding along because men shouldn’t show a sign of “weakness” by saying that they are struggling.

Somewhere in every man is the want to be a Spartan Solider. We want to be King Leonidas from 300 and we want to see a problem facing us and know that we can scream “We are Sparta!” *Kicks the problem square in the chest* but the reality is often far different and can hit at any point.

There is some research that shows that men may be more likely to lack some of the known precursors of good mental health, such as a positive engagement with education or the emotional support of friends and family. Wherever it comes from the battle is real.

The majority of those days are thankfully over now for me and I have had good mental health for a while but the “January blues” do definitely add to it and my anxiety levels are always higher than normal.

I have over the years found ways to produce positivity and good self-care to maintain me in months like this.  I enjoy sitting playing the piano, taking time to sit and draw or even get a little lost reading a book or two.

Finding things to pick us up and carry on can always be difficult. With that in mind the wonderful team over at Paladone have offered a bundle to giveaway and spread some cheer.

There will be a Chalkboard mug to either write little messages to you or to a loved one to cheer them up first thing in the morning.

A Harry Potter notebook to write all of your thoughts and doodles down on as I have found it is usually helps to express how you feel.

A Pac-Man stress ball to release any built up pressure that you may have.

And, finally, a Polychrome mood light to create a wonderful calming environment!

I know I would be happy if I won this whole bundle and I am sure you would too; just follow the entry options below for a chance to win them.

In the meantime, regular readers or not, it is OK to talk. It might not be easy but if you want a sympathetic or empathetic ear then please don’t hesitate in dropping me a line. Either on here or Twitter  @mr_kitney

 Giveaway

The Giveaway will run for 7 days and will end at 12am on the 23/01/17.

So please follow the instructions on the rafflecopter below to enter! You can find my usual competition terms and conditions by clicking the blue writing here: Competition Terms and Conditions

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

(This was a collaborative post. My opinions are my own and I am under no obligations to produce a positive post. Please see my full disclosure at the bottom of my blog)