Top Tips to Help Beat the January Blues

Top Tips to Help Beat the January Blues

Whether you’re in the post-Christmas doldrums or you’ve got midwinter melancholy or New Year sales buyers remorse, January can sometimes be a bit of a downer after all the fun and frivolity of the festive season. Luckily there are plenty of things you can do to get over the New Year slump and beat those January blues.

Eat Well

A big part of the January blues can be the aftereffects of all that indulgence - sort of like a big sugar crash for grown ups. So much eating and merrymaking can leave you feeling run down and unhealthy, which has a negative effect on your mood, so it’s important to treat your body to good things when January rolls around. Eating healthily has been proven to up both your energy levels and your mood and should go some way towards getting you through the slump.

Get Out and About

For the same reason, lots of doctors advise exercise in January too. With the freezing temperatures and icy pavements, getting out and about might feel like the last thing you want to do but even the most gentle exercise can boost your mood. The January blues can also be brought on by the weather and the lack of light so heading outside in the daylight hours and getting a bit of Vitamin D can’t hurt.

Get a Hobby

Have you found yourself thinking about all the things you wanted to achieve last year but never got round to? Instead of dwelling on the past, look to the future instead. Making plans for holidays or taking up a new hobby will help ease you into the new year and give you something to look forward to. This can be especially helpful for children who are down about going back to school after the Christmas holidays.

Take the Pressure Off

If the pressure of your new year’s resolutions is getting you down, here’s a novel idea: just don’t make them! Every year we face a lot of peer pressure when it comes to ‘making a change’, ‘getting things right this time’, or ‘finally getting in shape’ when, really, we’re probably fine carrying on as we are. Positive changes to your routine are great but you won’t enjoy the benefits if achieving them feels like a chore. Instead of a huge, overwhelming resolution, try to set little, achievable challenges that will help you feel great about yourself throughout the year.