January Blues

And How To Beat Them

Li Carter

Jan 5

by Matthew Henry on Unsplash

Well, here we are, five days into January already… Has it hit you yet? What am I talking about, I hear you ask…

I’m talking about the January blues; that post-Christmas slump that seems to happen at the beginning of January, when all of the excitement and preparation for Christmas is over, and the lights, and sparkly decorations have been taken down and stowed away in the loft for another year.

I don’t know about you, but while, on one hand, I like to see the fresh clean house, once all the decorations have come down, I also feel sad to see the lights go, and the nights begin to look so much darker once more.

All too soon, life moves on and we get back to normal, and Christmas seems like nothing more than a distant memory, as work and other things of ordinary life take over.

The thing is that we all know that it will happen, eventually. At some point this January, we will all face a case of the January blues (unless you’re some kind of super human, and if you are, you probably wouldn’t be reading this, because you’d have far more important things to deal with). What we need, is to make sure that we have techniques and plans in place for when this happens.

My first technique sounds very simple: Make sure that you have a routine in place. Simple, right?! The thing is, it’s easy to put a routine in place, but finding the motivation to do it and stick to it, is the thing that can be a stumbling block. The key I’ve found, is to simply tell myself that I’ll just do ten minutes. If I do ten minutes on the tasks included on my routine, I can chalk it up as a success, and even this, as small as it sounds, can help to lift my mood.

Secondly, I make sure that I exercise (for at least ten minutes) a day. I usually do more, because once I get started, it’s easier to carry on, but giving myself permission to only do ten minutes, makes it far easier for me to get started in the first place. I also walk my dogs, which gets me out in the fresh air, which is also a big mood boost.

Thirdly, I try to practice self care. I make sure that I am eating well, and healthily. I make sure I take the time to look after myself physically. Sometimes, something as small as a longer than usual shower can help put those blues on the back foot. The thing is, we need to teach ourselves that it’s okay to look after ourselves, so go get your hair done, or get a massage, or a manicure. Whatever makes you feel good.

Fourthly, do things that you enjoy. Maybe it’s a new hobby, maybe it’s as simple as watching that tv show, or listening to that album that you love. Tell yourself that you can do this, and that it’s okay for you to have some fun! We’re not robots, and sometimes, we just need that little bit of enjoyment, especially when the blues are upon us.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that we all have different ways of beating the blues… but it is important that we actually employ these ways, instead of letting them fall by the wayside in the face of those dreaded blues.

What are some of your ways that you’ve found to beat the blues?