Ways to Help Prevent and Treat the January Blues

by Tia Dewick in Uncategorised

Are you feeling a little down in the dumps now that the festive period has come to an end? Well here are some key strategies to help prevent and treat those horrid feelings of the January blues.

 

What’s really important to remember is that you are not alone in feeling this way, your friends and family may also be experiencing the same thoughts and feelings as yourself which brings me onto our first key strategy, social. Over the festive period we make every effort to socialise with all of our friends and family which is one of the most powerful aspects which allows us to build our Christmas spirit. However, when January comes along people tend to forget to continue to make these social connections in order to see their loved ones. But why? You don’t need to go out for an expensive meal or expensive drinks, spending quality time with the ones you love over a cup of tea or coffee can help lift your spirit.

Additionally, when January comes along people often go into crazy diet mode to lose that little extra Christmas tub by heavily restricting calories and even missing meals. When our body misses a meal we actually store more energy the next time we eat because our body is worried that it may be a while before receives any more nutrients so it holds as much as it possibly can. You can tell my next strategy is food right? Starving your body of nutrients has many negative consequences, both mentally and physically. Alternatively, you should return to consuming your 3-6 meals a day depending on your usual lifestyle, but be more selective in the types of foods you choose. Why not have a homemade soup or vegetable pasta as a low calorie and healthy meal which helps boost your metabolism compared to your usual sandwich? Every now and again consuming treats are fantastic for our mental wellbeing so still allow yourself those treats maybe once or twice a week. Cutting out junk food completely for January is not a good move for your mental health.

Our favourite strategy is exercise. There are countless benefits of exercise which I’m sure you are all aware of but there seems to be very negative images of exercise. Do you enjoy running on the treadmill for 30-60 minutes? ME NEITHER! Choosing activities which are fun and engaging is far more sustainable and adds extra mental health benefits too. Why not go for a scenic walk with your friends? Or join a fitness class and meet people in exactly the same position as you? Find an activity that you can see yourself enjoying and you’ll be thankful you did.

So be sure to exercise, healthily manage your food and be social over January to avoid those blues!