How to beat the January blues

We are only a few days into January and I’m already struggling with the early starts and a regimented day. I have been spending my free time exploring ways to keep all those January blues away. Here are a few tried and tested ways to turn your January frown upside down.

Screw the unrealistic resolutions. Instead of making lots of unattainable and quite frankly ridiculous resolutions give yourself small goals throughout the year. My first goal of the year is to make sure I am saying please and thank you a lot more. Another bitesize goal I have given myself is to improve my core. Therefore, throughout January I have been doing 50 sit ups a day which takes under 5 minutes to achieve. I will switch it up every month and see if it makes a difference. Having smaller goals instead of resolutions makes me feel like I’m accomplishing more without any pressure.

Get plenty of rest. Going back to work and coming out of your holiday food coma is so difficult. Get into a routine with sleep as this can help with anxiety and will give you time to rest. I’ve noticed since going back to work that I’ve just needed to recharge my batteries a lot more. Relax, whether that be taking a long bath, binging Netflix or hanging with your partner.

Get your diet back on track. Hands up if you have eaten your weight in chocolate or cheese over the holidays. The first thing I did when I got back was get my diet back on track. I started planning out meals and doing meal prep. I make sure that I make my breakfast and lunch a day in advance so I’m prepared. This has been working really well.

Keep your self-love on track. January can be a really difficult time to maintain your mental health. Make sure you make time for yourself. During the holidays you might have forgotten to look after yourself. So start the year off the way you intend to finish it. Download one of the many mindfulness apps to get you on track (I recommend Headspace). Take time for yourself in the evening, start a new gym class or workout routine and remember to remind yourself how amazing you are.

Celebrate the little things. I have found this to be the most difficult thing to do but also the most critical. I had a couple of really positive days where I wasn’t feeling anxious and I made sure that I told my friends and family about it. I’ve also found that celebrating achievements in your day can make you feel amazing. Examples of this might be that you achieved something at the gym, you ate healthily, you completed some work before a deadline or you managed to complete all your housework. Give yourself the time to reflect on the positive things instead of just focusing on the negative.

I hope my tips can help you kick your January blues and embrace the start of a new year. Enjoy every day as it comes and remember there are only 31 days in January, it won’t last forever.

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