For me, January is by far the most miserable & depressing month. It’s cold & wet, everyone is poor from Christmas as well as sticking to their new years resolutions of eating healthily & not drinking. If all you want to do is curl up under a duvet & hibernate until Spring then this blog post is for you.
We are all at the point where we are fed up of winter & are craving the sweet smell of spring & that lovely feeling of warmth from the sunshine. Unfortunately it’s a few more months before any of that happens so i’ve been thinking about the ways to combat the ‘January Blue’s’, seeing as i’m my new more positive self in 2016, obviously.
1. Exercise – I know it’s something you probably don’t want to hear, especially when we’ve had one of the wettest Winters this year. Exercise is proven to not only improve your physical health but mentally too. I’m not just talking about slogging away in the gym for an hour a day…even going for a brisk walk on one of those rare crisp mornings will do the job.
2. Have something to look forward to – This is something I always try to have as it’s a target or goal to get through each week of the same monotony. It can be hard to look forward to something if it’s SO long away that it seems unreachable however so plan little mini things along the way. It doesn’t even have to be big things, even a well deserved date night with your other half or afternoon tea with a friend, ranging to weddings or the pitter patter of tiny feet.
3. Address the negatives – What exactly is it that makes you feel down in the dumps? Health? Finances? Work? Family? Friends? Social life? Then address it. If you are fed up of your boring 9-5 mundane office job then put together a CV & start looking elsewhere. Are you worried about your spending habits? Sit down & make a spreadsheet of all your incomings & outgoings then see what you can cut out, cut down (it’s always worth shopping around when it comes to utility suppliers or even calling them to see what cuts they can make to your tariff) & most importantly save.
4. De-clutter – Anybody that reads my blogs or follows me on Instragram will know this is my favourite thing ever. Mainly because it makes you feel AMAZING! Go through each room & be as ruthless as possible when sorting into piles of keep/bin/charity/sell. It is definitely a job you’ll dread doing & put off as long as possible, but once you’ve started you’ll never look back. Plus think of all that extra room you’ll have.
5. Take up a hobby – Part of the ‘New Year, new me’ brigade over here will include learning something new. I haven’t quite decided what it’ll be yet although I would LOVE to learn modern calligraphy. Doing something for yourself is perfect for lifting spirits as well as getting your brain into gear after switching off for too long over the festive period when only tins of roses & glasses of mulled wine mattered. Why not take up sewing, learn an instrument, volunteer, photography, exercise…the list is endless.
How do you like to stay positive in January?
Love, Charlotte x