5 top tips on beating the January Blues
Whilst Christmas, for most, is a fun and festive time of the year, it is also conveniently located at a very depressing time. It is cold, the days are short and the weather is just pretty miserable!
From November, luckily we have Christmas and New year to look forward to keep us going. After the festive period is over though….we are suddenly hit with two solid months and continuous winter misery, that often feels more like 6.
This has January gloom has been coined as the dreaded ‘January Blue’. We have compiled our team's top tips for helping to beat the January Blues and staying positive:
1. Get Active
That doesn’t necessarily mean hitting the gym or setting unrealistic targets, which itself can be detrimental to esteem and mental well-being. Getting active can be the simplest of things, from pushing yourself to going for a daily walk or looking up an online yoga video or stretching.
The more exercise the better though, science has proven that endorphins are released during exercise. These ‘feel good’ hormones can really help in lifting our moods and encouraging us to feel more positive.
2. Get Outside
Following on from point number one the importance of getting out and going for a walk, the outdoors has numerous positives. Exposure to sunlight is incredible important, many often become depressed in the shorter and darker months and the lack of sunlight exposure is massive contributing factor to this. Our brains love the sunlight, it helps to properly regulate our sleep patterns, which is invaluable.
However much we try to put it off it before hand, no one ever resents a good walk or run once it has been completed, it really will make you feel miles better! Fresh air, sunlight and the endorphes are one of the best remedies for combating the january blues.
3. Don't set unrealistic New Years Resolutions
New Years resolutions are great when they are positive ones. They always start out with the best intentions but they can sometimes do more harm than good when we feel we have failed. We then spend the rest of the month beating ourselves up for not having had enough will power. January is hard enough as it is without cutting out everything we look forward to in life and instead plunging our selves in to a month of purgatory.
If you are set on giving something up and that works for you then great, if not then that is absolutely fine too! January isn’t the only month of the year you can obstain, why not try ‘Dry April’ or ‘Veguly’? There are no rules to January being the only month to give something up and if a bit of moderation is best for you, instead of extrem resolutions that will only make you more depressed then go with what will make you most happy. As at the end of the day, being happy in life is what is most important.
4. Give Yourself A Break
Whislt Christmas can be a wonderful time of celebrating with friends and family, it can also be bloody exhausting. You may have had to cook, clean and entertain you whole family or drive hundreds of miles to visit distant relatives or maybe it was just down right stressful for other reasons. January should be a time to recharge. Don’t feel guilty about turning down invitations if you want to stay home, its perfectly acceptable to put your self first, especially in January when most people are in hibernation mode as well.
If it’s raining, make the most of it and cosy up under a quilt amd listen to the rain, from the comforts of the sofa. Binge a box set or watch your favourite films and have a bit of a self care day.
5. Try Something New
Try Something New We aren’t suggesting you stay under that quilt all month though. Comfort zones can be dangerous thing as they can cause us to stagnate, which only encourages the blues. It doesn’t need to be a radical new hobby or activity. Maybe something you have always wanted to try or visit? This could even be a trip somewhere, putting in place something to really look forward to.
But if you are in the market for something a but more daring, why not ‘push the boat out’ and see where it take you. You may even surprise yourself.
Summary
We hope these tips have helped, even slightly. January can be a really tough time but happiness is down to you. Try and commit to being happy this month and remember to give yourself a break if you have an low day.
