10 Tips You Need To Overcome January Blues
by Alicja Poprawa in Education
January the 16th 2023. Coined the saddest day of the year.
Perhaps you’re experiencing low mood, lack of motivation, sadness or low energy? According to experts you could be experiencing January Blues. And it’s completely normal to feel a little down as January tends to be cold, dark and the excitement from the festive period is all over.
Some of us might also be struggling with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which can also be made worse at this time of year.
Then there is also Blue Monday which falls on the 16th of January this year, and it is supposedly the saddest day of the year because of the cold weather, darkness and the festivities being over.
So, what can we do about it? We’ve put together some tips to help you.
#1 Get as much daylight as you can
It’s a no brainer that getting outside and getting some daylight and vitamin D will help boost our mood. Try to get outside during the daylight hours as much as possible. Take your dog out for a walk. Go outside first thing in the morning. Or go for a walk during your lunch break.
#2 Stay active
Exercise helps us to relieve stress and feel better so keep up your exercise routine or try a new activity to release those endorphins!
#3 Eat well
Eating a healthy balanced diet can help you have sustained energy throughout the day and boost your mood. Make sure you have adequate protein, carbs and healthy fats with vegetables and/or fruit with your meals so that you get all the nutrients you need.
#4 Get good sleep
Do you need an excuse to get more sleep? Of course not. Most of us probably don’t get enough sleep for a variety of reasons. However, sleep helps to regulate a lot of functions in our bodies so it’s important we get enough. Between 7-9 hours is recommended for quality rest.
#5 Avoid unrealistic New Year’s Resolutions
When we can’t achieve the goals we set ourselves this can leave us feeling inadequate and unhappy. Of course, the start of the year can be a motivating time to start new things so use this feeling to set realistic resolutions that you can measure and stick to.
#6 Take up a new hobby
Like I’ve mentioned above setting resolutions can send us into feelings of not being good enough if we do not achieve what we set out. So why not instead pick up a new hobby? It can be fun, it doesn’t have to focus on you achieving anything but simply trying something new and you can even do it with friends or family.
#7 Find support in friends and family
When we’re feeling low we might want to isolate ourselves and avoid our friends and family. However, it’s important to reach out to our loved ones when we are struggling with low mood. Give someone close a call and let them know how you are feeling. Make plans or invite them over. Let people help you!
#8 Warm up
When it’s really cold outside what do you want to do? Warm up with a hot cuppa or a hot chocolate? Run yourself a hot bath with some candles. Allow yourself to be comforted and relaxed by the warmth of a hot bath.
#9 Be grateful for all the little things
Practice being grateful for what you have. Maybe you just had a lovely relaxing hot bath. If you’re in a low mood you might be focusing on all the negative things going on in your life. Which is normal. One way to get out of this way of thinking is to start noticing all the good things in your life. It’s not going to be easy and it might take practice, but try it. What are you grateful for right now?
#10 Check for SAD
If you find yourself to be struggling every year during this time then maybe you are suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD affects 1 in 3 people in the UK. Find Michaels article here for more information and how to get help.
I hope these tips are helpful and it’s best not to do them all at once but focus on what you feel would be most beneficial for you.
Alicja x