Dr. Alex George, a star of Love Island, shared how Brits can overcome the January blues, explaining how they can sometimes be “deadly” in some cases.
Dr Alex George has revealed how January health kicks can actually be “detrimental” in the long run. The 34-year-old doctor, who shot to fame on Love Island in 2018 but has since used his platform to speak out about mental health issues and previously served as UK Youth Mental Health Ambassador in the Department for Education, has urged people to realise that deciding that the first month of the year is a “terrible time” to begin with is not necessarily the best approach.
The TV star has cautioned viewers not to “beat themselves up” if things don’t go according to plan, despite being all encouraging for those who have experienced health issues like Dry January or have tried a new diet.
He told The Mirror: “I have always felt that the kind of new year, new me thing is not helpful because I think the premise of building your health is great and I’m all for that, but I think people use it as a time to kind of beat themselves up and say, ‘I’m gonna start over again!’ And then chastise themselves rather than see like building upon something. That’s positive. Say, look, like I got through last year, this and there’s things I wanna work on, that’s fine, but that overhaul can be detrimental.”
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Dr. Alex has also discovered that taking regular walks every morning has been beneficial for his mental well-being. He wants others to “embrace” the miserable January weather, insisting that having a “positive mindset” is all that is needed to overcome the blues of January.
He continued, “If you kind of go into it and say that January is a terrible time of year because of the awful weather.” Regardless of the weather, I go for a walk every morning if it’s raining or it’s snowing or whatever. I’m okay with lightning, but I might not be able to dodge it because of safety concerns or strong winds! But otherwise, I just go outside every day, and even when it’s raining occasionally, I try to see if it’s all good.
And simply “And just get out and enjoy it,” so that, in my opinion, mindset is at play. It’s encouraging to see that the weather isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but to acknowledge that the days are shorter and it’s colder. It’s not like pretending it doesn’t exist.
The reality star is now launching a new campaign on Blue Monday, the term used by health psychologists to describe the month’s third Monday as the most depressing of the year.
The campaign, which asks Brits to take a 30-minute tea break from work to speak to their loved ones, has been created by Alex and Three and Samaritans.
He claimed that “I think it’s brilliant because obviously people recognize Blue Monday, which is just one day of the year, there’s a certain myth about it being the day of the most struggles.” People can struggle on any day of the year, of course.
“I am aware that the sunniest day could be one of my struggles, my OCD might be playing up, or whatever it might be,” I know for a fact. However, I’m still given the chance to use that day to make something positive. The goal is to encourage tea-loafing outside. I believe it’s still a fantastic opportunity to kind of get outside if you work from home.
I believe it also offers the opportunity to pick up a phone call from a friend, a family member, or a staged person. If you consider the larger issue, I believe that people are currently spending more time indoors than ever, probably more. How much time are we spending inside probably increased as a result of hybrid working. Our commute to and from work is not lengthy. Or perhaps because of the pandemic that kind of stopped, people don’t take tea breaks anymore while we’re at work.
Dr. Alex George and Three UK and Samaritans have teamed up to launch their new “Tea Leave“ initiative, which calls for people to take a 30-minute wellness break to reconnect with loved ones over a cup of coffee.
Source: Mirror
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