Friday 8 January 2010

Beating the January Blues

The first month of a new year should have a sense of optimism about it but for some people, January can seem like a long hard slog of a month to get through. I have offered some tips at the end of this post to try to help you get through the rest of the month without feeling like you have the January blues.

The buzz and excitement from Christmas and New Year celebrations have died down. We're still in the midst of winter so there's cold weather, it gets dark in the early afternoon and going out can be more of an effort. It's too far from the beginning of spring to be thinking of brighter, lighter days. Some of us who enjoyed a festive period surrounded by family and friends may suddenly feel lonely once everyone has gone back to their own homes or returned to work. 31 days in the month can seem a long time to those people who over-spent at Christmas and are counting down to pay day..... Now let's start thinking about how to brighten up the dark days and lift our spirits at this time of year!

All the things that would make us feel better (exercise, fresh air, healthy food) are too often not what people turn to. You hear excuses that it’s too cold to go out and exercise, too dark for a walk, and a chocolate bar is just what we need to cheer us up. We all know of course that staying inside, feeling miserable and eating chocolate won’t lift our spirits. Here are some things to try:

  1. Go out in the morning for some fresh air and to get out of the house again before it does get dark. Get well wrapped up if it's really cold out there, pull on an anorak and wellies if it's raining.

  2. Eat warming healthy comfort food that's tasty and filling – hearty soups & stews,  cooked fruit etc.

  3. Have some fresh flowers around the house for a burst of pretty colour.

  4. Wear something colourful or an item of clothing that makes you feel good (so many people in London wear black clothing, it's nice to see a change)

  5. Do some exercise or vigorous cleaning to keep you warm and get your heartbeat raised. If exercising, try to enlist a friend for company and help with motivation during the winter months.

  6. Use the extra time you are spending at home to work on something you’ve been putting off, for even just 5-10 mins a day (adding photos in an album, updating your baby book….).

  7. Listen to upbeat, lively music to keep you in an upbeat mood.

  8. Make the most of the dark evenings and surprise your loved one with a cosy candle-lit dinner or snuggle up together under a blanket to watch a movie.

  9. Enjoy your Christmas gifts. If you got some nice new books, CDs, DVDs, pampering products, set time aside in an evening to relax and enjoy them.

  10. Plan fun activities. These need not be costly. Invite friends over for dinner or for a movie night, have a girly clothes-swap party, go to a late-night exhibition view at a gallery...It's nice to have things to look forward to.


Do you ever feel a bit of the January blues? Do you have some other suggestions to add to the list above?

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Photo credit

3 comments:

  1. great post. I agree with all your tips. The key for me is doing something productive...or getting out of the house. I was beginning to experience those January blues this week when I had two sick kids at home, couldn't go out with them and we were going on our third day! Eventually we just had to GET OUT, so we went for a short walk. love your tips. will have to bookmark this page! :)

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  2. Glad you enjoyed the post. It's especially tough when anyone's sick and you feel like you can't go out. As you said, you reach that point when you just need to get out for some fresh air and a change of scene. Hope they are feeling better now.

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  3. I like keeping my Christmas decorations around until mid January. It helps transitioning into the new year. A pile of great novels or inspirational non fiction books is great too. too. Planning a romantic Valentine's Day dinner is not half bad either.
    Let's turn the blues into pinks!!
    Maryse

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Thank you for reading. I'd love to have your comments and thoughts!