I don’t know many people who look forward to the month of January. Yes, it can be a time for new beginning’s and change but personally, I’m not a supporter of that. In all honesty, January can feel pretty miserable.
What do we do to survive it?
- Manage your expectations – if you don’t expect too much from the month or yourself it will be far easier to deal with. I’m not saying expect it to be miserable, it doesn’t have to be but be realistic about what you can achieve i.e money might be tight after Christmas so limit social occasions to avoid unnecessary pressure on yourself.
- Use the time wisely – Weather not great? All a bit gloomy out there? Choose this month to tackle indoor projects or hunker down and rest and recharge the batteries.
- Planning – having something to look forward to is important, January is a great month for thinking about the year ahead, things you might want to do, places you’d like to go. They don’t have to be big plans – perhaps a list of people you’d like to visit over the year?
- Get outside when you can – Even if it’s gloomy, getting outside for a short walk or a good old stomp can make us feel so much better. Wrap up, get the waterproofs on and walk. Great for our mental health and wellbeing.
- Nourishing food – you’ve probably had the excess of Christmas, meal planning and really thinking about what we put in our bodies at this time of year not only makes us feel better mentally, but it also helps ward off the winter nasties. Experiment with some new ideas if you have the energy.
These are all things that might help but sometimes we need to change our mindset, change the way we approach something.
A different way of thinking.
I think it has been really interesting this month seeing so many social media posts about people doing things differently. So many more people appear to be embracing this desire/want/need to gently ease back into life after Christmas.
There seems to be more emphasis on resting (when you can) not pushing yourself and recognising the season that is winter and the need for some sort of hibernation rather than a manic approach of “new year new you.”
Embracing the seasons.
Personally, I would be delighted if this became more of a ‘thing’ as it makes so much more sense to me and watching those clients and friends of mine that are trying this approach and how much happier they appear to be, is really interesting.
Easing into a New Year.
I too have been trying this different way of managing January and although I have never set out New Year’s resolutions, I have realised how I usually put unnecessary pressure on myself to get motivated, to get going again with a certain speed that hasn’t always served me well. Easing back into the New Year has proved not only beneficial for my health but my mental health too and it’s something I will look to continue with over the next month or so. As Spring starts to emerge I can up the pace – sounds far more pleasurable to me.
