We’re well into January now, we’ve packed Christmas away for another year (unless, like me, you spot stray decorations dotted around the house that you missed!) and we’re looking at the cold, wet weather outside. Anxiously waiting for our first paycheck since the festive season bled us dry, we’re probably getting creative with our meals ….microwave rice and beans anyone?
It’s really common for those of us living through dark dreary winters to feel rather blue this time of year. In fact; the 20th of January has been named ‘Blue Monday’! This is when we’re all at our lowest.
Nobody is a fan of Monday’s for the rest of the year, so this one must be pretty especially crap.
In case you feel like you’re the only one suffering through a bad case of the Eeyores, fear not! There are a helluva lot of us right next to you, and here’s why…
1 Here comes the sun...(well not just yet!)
The sun has been gone for a few months now, the dark evenings have lost their appeal, we’re waking up in the dark and coming home in the dark. The long term lack of daylight is a huge factor for many of us feeling so low. Experts say this can absolutely cause one to feel depressed and sluggish. Even though we’re still a few of months away from sunshine, it’s possible to use lamps, not just any old lamp, SAD lamps (or light therapy lamps) are meant to imitate outdoor light and can help lower depression and improve your mood! I’ll definitely need to give one a try…. if you’re like me and don’t have one of those, try make your way outside every day. Even during lunch break, wrap up and have a wander outside, let the distant sun reach your cheeks! 😬😬
2. Money Money Money
Cha-Ching, or lack thereof! Christmas bled us dry. We were invincible over Christmas, we brought joy to our loved ones, had fun with our friends. Totally worth it! But now we pay the price…we have to wait until the end of January for our paycheck. Until that day arrives, we can only dream of the food we shall eat, the clothes we can buy, the dry January that we can’t wait to end but have no choice but to adhere to! Rice in a bag it is so 🍚 😋
3. Working 9-5
No days off!! We’re back slogging at work.. yes, we have just come back from a lovely break, but that’s beside the point. We‘re toughening up, gripping onto our holidays for later in the year and now the WHOLE of January feels never-ending! Someone needs to create another bank holiday for mid January!
4. New Year, New YOUUUuuuu…..
New Years resolutions! personally, I don’t believe in them anymore. For this reason; we all plan on completely transforming our lives overnight (Even with a New Year’s Day sore head), but inevitably most of our plans fall apart after we drive past Krispy Kreme, have an internal battle, do a quick U-turn and sneakily enter their drive thru! I’ll order water with the dozen so I feel a little bit less guilty… oh and a large americano! Sure I’ll start again tomorrow! So no, don’t start the resolutions. Be realistic, make a plan in stages. Then you don’t need to feel bad for messing it up in January! Plus, if you think about it, if January is the most depressing time of year, why make it harder? We can’t afford to be extravagant (until payday), so go on and have a bit of whatever makes you happy and don’t feel guilty.
3. Blame it on the Weather, man! (Weatherman)
Irish weather, neither freezing or warm, but it’s dark and grey and wet and cloudy. The kind of weather that deserves closing your curtains and lighting the fire. Feck this, I’m not leaving my house until February!
Fear not friends, plenty of things we can do to overcome our blue-ness and become a bit rosier!
1. PLAN in colour
Make a plan, colour it in and decorate it with glitter, make it shine like the amazing person you are! List out goals you’d like to achieve, short term and long term. Put some realistic ones and some long term dreams.
2. Look at your people
sometimes it’s enough to just look at the people in your circle and feel like the luckiest person in the world. Curl up with a movie and a cuppa with your family or friends and have a laugh. The weather can’t hide the people you love and the money you don’t have makes no difference to them either. Just be around the people who make you happy and feed each other fun and laughs.
3. Bye bye toxic
Literally eliminate the toxic people from your life. There are some people who are not good for your soul. They may be perfectly fine individuals but they dull your shine and trigger all sorts of awful things, anxiety and self doubt. They do not deserve a place in your life. You do you. BE GONE! negative souls.
4. Nature is your friend
Fresh air helps. Yes it’s crap weather outside but if you go out ready for it, you’ll win. Head out and walk, mountains, sea (if it’s safe) bring your dog, your kids or stick you earbuds in and skip along to your favorite tune. Just get some fresh air into those lungs and be grateful to Mother Earth for the beautiful world we have.
5. Bucket list
Create a bucket list of new things you want to do, places to visit, cook (after payday!!!). For one, I want to try that hike in Fermanagh (I’ll throw a link in it). I’m lucky living next to the mountains, I love walking through the forests with my dog or with my kids. Whatever the weather, it brings me peace. . https://youtu.be/96opjUW6vzc (this music video is graphic at the start)
6. Find your JOY-
It’s easier than it sounds, check out Dr Rick Hanson, he simply explains that feeling joy is a reminder that you’re not defeated in the sanctuary of your own mind. I actually totally get this, I have anxiety and sometimes it’s really bloody crippling, but for me, no matter how hard things feel, I think of the good that is yet to come, all of which is unknown, but I feel happy knowing that dark times will end and the light will come eventually. It’s kinda one of my main go to’s. ‘This too shall pass’
So don’t let January beat you down. The month is almost over and you’ve made it this far. 2020 will be as amazing and as great as you let it.
Almost forgot👉🏼 Here’s the Cuilcagh Hike in Co. Fermanagh (Aka Stairway to Heaven)
A cup of tea is a good start 
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