When it’s cold and wet outside and the joy of the festive season and New Year is over, it can feel like we have nothing to look forward to, especially when money is short at the end of what feels like a long month.
If you’re feeling like this you’re not alone. This is a common experience at this time of year. The January blues can lead to a lack of motivation, low mood or anxiety. You might be finding it harder than usual to get out of bed in the morning or to feel enthusiastic about anything.
We all start the New Year with the best of intentions, many of us will have made resolutions to try to change our lives for the better, but the long nights and short days can lead to us losing impetus which can lead to feeling even more miserable.
Here are my 6 steps to beating the January Blues.
[divider number = “1” title=”Find a Focus”]
Start a project or learn something new. Choose something you are interested in and give it a go. It could be a craft project, planning an event for later in the year or learning Italian. Whatever interests you, the quiet weeks of January are a perfect time to focus on it.
[divider number = “2” title= “Live with Intention”]
Your life is important, live it like it is. Find time to do the things you’ve always wanted to, make plans for the year and play an active part in your life. Identify some simple things you could do over the next couple of weeks and plan when you will do them. Whether it is a meal you would like to cook, a walk you would like to take or a film you would like to watch. Use your time intentionally rather than just waiting for it to pass.
[divider number=”3″ title= “Focus on something positive for the year ahead”]
Focus on something positive and inspirational – The New Year gives us all an opportunity to dream a little about what this year could hold – you have the power to make those dreams reality. Allow yourself to think freely about the possibilities the year ahead holds and get excited by it.
[divider number= “4” title = “Use an Affirmation”]
Use an affirmation when you notice your thoughts becoming negative or self defeating. Say it out loud or in your mind as often as you want. Try this one ‘I embrace this phase of the year and use it to help me begin a fantastic journey’
[divider number= ‘5’ title = ‘Visualise’]
The dark days at the beginning of the year have a significant effect on our body chemistry and our overall mood. Combat this with a guided visualisation to restore a sense of energy and vitality to your body and mind. Access my ‘Beat the Winter Blues Guided Visualisation here and use it at least 2-3 times a week.
[divider number= ‘6’ title = ‘Cut yourself some slack’]
It’s easy to let a small setback or the January blues feel like the end of the world, but it really isn’t. Don’t beat yourself up. January is a time of preparation for the rest of the year – a year full of energy. Take the time to reboot your plans and refocus. Accept that it is normal to feel this way in January but it will pass. Remember that our mood and motivation rises and falls over time, just like the sun rises and sets.
“There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope” Bernard Williams.
