Beating the January Blues: How to Feel Your Best in the Winter

Beating the January Blues

Whether or not you’ve packed up your holiday lights and taken your decorations down, the holiday season has come to a close. After the hustle and bustle of the festive season, many of us start to feel glum around this time of year.

January’s cold weather, short days, and the pressure of the new year can leave many people feeling unmotivated, sad, tired, or just low on energy. These feelings are commonly referred to as the “January Blues,” and it can be difficult to push through them. Considering many people are also struggling with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) throughout the winter, it’s important that we reflect on how we feel and take care of our mental health.

If you’re looking for ways to get out of your winter funk, look no further than this blog! Hopefully, following these helpful tips will keep the worst of the January Blues at bay and help you feel your best.

What are the January Blues?

Understanding how the January Blues presents itself is the first step in recognizing and combating this seasonal hardship.

While it may not be as severe as conditions like depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder, it certainly isn’t any more fun to deal with. It may also present itself differently in different people. Some clear indicators that someone is dealing with the January Blues include:

  • Sadness
  • Irritability
  • General feelings of anxiety
  • Tiredness
  • Fatigue
  • Low energy levels
  • Sleep changes (whether sleeping too much, sleeping too little, or struggling to fall and/or stay asleep)
  • Changes in appetite (including increased appetite, especially for sweets and carbohydrates or craving foods with lots of sugar)
  • Cognitive changes (such as difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions)
  • Social withdrawal and/or increased sensitivity to social rejection

Acknowledging the January Blues

If you recognize you’re dealing with some of the symptoms listed above, it’s likely you’re struggling with some form of winter blues. The first thing you can do for yourself is understand that this is completely normal!

There are biological reasons why many people don’t feel their best at the start of the year. You aren’t alone in feeling this way, and many people will be going through the same or similar feelings. You may not even realize how common it truly is. What you’re going through is a natural response to your environment, and there is nothing wrong with having these feelings.

How to Combat January Blues

Just because you’re feeling down doesn’t mean you’re completely stuck. There are many things you can do to minimize negative feelings and get yourself back on track. Follow these helpful tips to combat your January Blues.

Get as Much Natural Light as PossibleWoman sitting in sun at desk

A lack of daylight and sun exposure is a primary cause of depleted mood and energy levels, especially in winter when the days are shorter. Not getting enough sunlight and vitamin D can decrease one’s overall mood. This can be especially challenging for employees who spend the majority of the workday inside.

Exposure to sunlight can help regulate your sleep cycles and increase levels of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin has been linked to improved mood. Consider going outside in the afternoons or sit in a space with more direct sun exposure. When sunlight isn’t available, try alternative methods like sun therapy lamps. These lamps can create the illusion of sunlight, and light therapy is an effective way to combat seasonal depression and the January Blues.

Keep Active

No matter how you prefer to exercise, staying active throughout the season is another great way to regulate your emotions in the winter. Exercising releases endorphins in the brain that improve your mood.

You don’t have to become a triathlete overnight. Your exercise can take any form, including gentle to moderate activities like walking, jogging, or yoga. As long as you’re moving, you’re doing it right.

Eat Well

We’re often tempted to heat up comfort food in the winter. Heavy and fatty foods help us cozy up inside and shut out the cold, but they might not be the best meals for us to have every day. What foods we eat have a big impact on our mood. A healthful, varied diet will help boost your mood and give you more energy throughout the day.

Eat vitamin-rich foods like fruits and vegetables, especially those with high amounts of vitamin D, magnesium, and antioxidants.

Sleep Well

The January Blues can also affect our sleep schedules. Whether you’re hitting snooze on the alarm clock a few too many times or staying up into the wee hours of the morning for a little more time to yourself, poor sleep habits can negatively affect our mental health.

The National Sleep Foundation guidelines advise that adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep every night. If you aren’t getting quality sleep, you’re more likely to feel irritable, anxious, or worried throughout the day.

Practice good sleep hygiene. Develop a consistent routine that gets you ready for bed. This might include things like reducing screen time in the evenings, practicing a skincare routine, wearing comfortable pajamas, and/or spending time winding down with a good book or a soothing bath.

Avoid Setting Unrealistic New Year’s Resolutions

Many of us feel a special kind of rush when counting down the seconds to the new year, and it’s not uncommon to feel ambitious when setting goals around this time of year. Setting New Year’s resolutions to better yourself is a good thing, but feeling lousy that you haven’t achieved them isn’t.

Avoid making resolutions that are vague or extremely difficult to achieve. Set goals that are measurable and within your reach.

Focus on Gratitude

Journal - What are you grateful for?Sometimes the best thing you can do is focus on the positive. Whether you want to write down a list of things you’re thankful for or just take a few minutes out of your day to reflect on them, thinking about what makes you happy is a great way to put yourself in a better mood.

Expressing gratitude for the little things can be powerful too. You can be grateful for a good night’s sleep, your morning coffee, or completing your work on time. Treasure the little wins and celebrate what you’ve achieved. This might help to take your mind off the negatives.

Reward Yourself

Everyone enjoys a little treat after a long day. Breaking up the mundane and rewarding yourself with something can help get you out of a funk. You can try planning to see a movie, visiting your favorite restaurant with friends, or buying a new book to boost your spirits.

 

 

This time of year can be extra difficult for some of us. We hope following this guide will help you feel a little lighter and more motivated.

Still, there are times when trying out this advice won’t be enough. In that case, the January Blues may be something more serious. If these feelings are lasting for several weeks, talk to a healthcare provider.

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