Welcoming January with open arms, the first week of the new year is always an odd one. The majority of us start setting ourselves goals for the entire year, which feels like such a long time. It is great to be motivated and if the new year triggers that then fab. But often this turns bitter from the pressure of everything and January Blues set in. This is exactly what has happened to me and I can vouch for the fact i’m not alone in this.
Feeling Blue
Part of feeling down this time of year is due to the pressures we put on ourselves. I definitely do this, expecting all my goals to have a starting point in the first few weeks of January. The truth is, just because we have transitioned into a new year, nothing has changed. We get plastered with new beginnings in marketing, fitness stuff in shops, planning your holiday and updating the home. It is everywhere that we MUST use the new year as a chance to become a better version of ourselves. This added pressure isn’t healthy, especially if you have anxiety like I do. It is the ultimate roller coaster with extreme highs and then extreme lows when expectations meet reality (just like in 500 days of summer the film).
Why do we do it to ourselves and why does it happen? I am all for new years goals, motivation and kicking butt with planning but why does it turn sour so quickly? I’ve mentioned it before but the condition SAD has a lot to do with low mood during the winter. I also feel that anxiety is worsened by the constant need to feel accomplished. This video by Simon Sinek explains SO much, it’s definitely worth a watch.
How to stop feeling this way
This is a tricky one, especially as I am also in the middle of a huge downward rut. It isn’t easy to tell people what is right and wrong as everyone is different. My only advice to feeling better is to RELAX! We have the entire year and longer to achieve the things we want. If you do one thing per day you feel proud of then time is the only thing making you down. We can’t expect things to be amazing straight away, we have to work hard and listen to our bodies. Down time and relaxation is just as important as the working hard. Doing this means you re-evaluate and become more in-tune with what you actually want in life, and how to do it.
Minimalism
Recently my friend Cheryl has opened my mind up to minimalism, which personally isn’t for me but the concept is one to think about. We watched a Netflix Documentary called Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things and it spoke about some really great factors. Give it a watch and hopefully it will open your eyes to a lot of points. The big one for me was consumerism and cluttering our brains with STUFF. This could be another blog post all together so not going to go into too much. There are so many things in our lives that we don’t need and have brought to feed our growing emptiness. This desire is in most people and after Christmas when all the presents have been opened and we settle back into our daily routines, its natural to feel the slump. The comparison of over indulging to our normal day routine is tough. Minimalism, or at least the concept of it is fascinating and actually makes a lot of sense. It could be the answer to your January Blues!
What now
I don’t expect this blog post to make you change your outlook on life or instantly feel better but I hope you can relate in the feelings. It is important to relax and look after our minds as well as our bodies. I wrote a blog post on 5 ways to relax and unwind in winter, so maybe try these ideas. Go on walks, have some quiet time and get yourself on track again with every day living. My doctor recommended an app called ‘Head Space’, so I am going to give that a try and hopefully it will help.
If you have any tips on January Blues and what works for you, share them in the comments. Don’t beat yourself up, stay warm and happy. You can also read my how to stay positive in winter post here.
xxx