Beating the January Blues

 

Winter by its very nature in Britain, can be a depressing time of year. 

 

Its cold, its dark, we see less people …because of the cold and the dark…and we tend to stay inside more, which can lead us to eating more and feeling stagnant and low in motivation. All a bit depressing. 

 

Christmas comes along and its all jolly and busy for a short period of time but then Christmas is over and we still have Covid Restrictions and unpredictability going on in our lives and that of course means we definitely can’t see as many people! Usually we feel depressed at the thought of going back to work but this year going back to work just means staying in the same sitting room you have been in for months now , and actually you would much rather be getting your work clothes out and trudging out in the cold, than face another day in home working weirdsville. 

The January blues are probably getting an extra injection of blue this year , so what can we do ? 

Tempting as it is to, stay put, stay angry at the situation, focus on what we can’t do and don’t have, this option will not change one single thing. Could it possibly even make you feel worse ? 

 

I like to look at January as a time for reflection. 2020 has given us a great deal to reflect upon I think so lets start there. Naturally when we look back on a year that has had low points we tend to focus on these first, but while it is never a good idea to pretend bad things have not happened or hide the emotions that we have about them, my teachings are always about taking the positives from even the bad stuff. The bad stuff has usually already happened, unless something bad is happening right now this second which is another story, but let’s say for arguments sake that we are looking at 2020. That has definitely finished now and we are onto a new year. What did we learn about ourselves during these bad times, what does this tell us about our strengths? What did we learn about others? 

I learned that I am never going to look into being a primary school teacher that’s for sure after months of home schooling, but I also learned that when I let go of strict scheduling and relax a little bit more, time with my child is much more enjoyable. I remembered that I am creative and can get enjoyment from working on new ideas and projects, it what really makes me tick and gives me energy. 

I took a big old dose of my own medicine and worked harder than ever on my mental and physical health and reminded myself that this is the most important thing of all. As a mother and a business owner I have to take care of myself and the positive impact it has for those responsibilities is huge. 

 

So refection is an amazingly positive exercise to do to keep the January blues at bay. 

 

Setting goals is also something that really helps us to find positivity in the moment and the future. 

 

Short term, long term it doesn’t matter. From setting the goal that by the end of January you will have cleared out one cupboard in your kitchen to setting the goal that in 6 months’ time you will have established an exercise routine that works for you or made those steps towards a new job that you have been putting off. The list of course is endless here. Your goals will be entirely different to the goals of the nest person but my top tip is to think about how you want to feel and work backwards from there when goal setting. 

 

I’m starting to bore myself with this one now, but honestly when we stay inside too much, don’t get fresh air, or even a little bit of exercise on a regular basis, it does impact negatively on our mental health, so get wrapped up and go for a walk. It will help I promise. 

Good luck with it all my wonderful members and from me to you in this Blue month, lets shift that colour to yellow with a gift of a one to one relaxation session with me. Just comment below and I will get you booked in. 

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