How to Beat the January Blues in 2024
Rolling out of bed in the cold, dark January mornings can be challenging for even the cheeriest of individuals. With the holiday season now firmly in the rear-view mirror, and festive spirit all but run dry, the gloomy reality of the first month of the year can be a sobering slap in the face compared with all the fun of the month before.
It's unsurprising, then, that so many of us struggle at this time of year. You might have diagnosable Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or simply a bout of the January Blues. Whatever you have, though, there are steps you can take to get back on top of your mood and wellbeing and back to feeling like yourself again.
1. Get Outside When You Can
Getting out and into the fresh air isn't a panacea for all ills, but it has significant benefits! Spending time outdoors, particularly amongst nature, has been shown in studies to improve health and wellbeing (including improved cognitive functioning, brain activity, blood pressure, mental health, physical activity and sleep).
A quick walk during the day, even if it's just outside your workplace, might be highly beneficial in shaking out of that winter slump. Plus, doing this has the added benefit of getting you your dose of Vitamin D for the day.
Make the Most of the Daylight
The short days are one of the hardest parts of this time of the year. You wake up and go to work in the dark; by the time you finish work, it's already dark again. Carving out time (if you can) to spend in the daylight can help improve our mood. That's, again, why that little lunchtime walk can be so helpful.
If you know you'll struggle to access daylight during your working hours, whether you do shift work or a 9-5 role, then factor this in when considering what to do on your days off. Whilst it can be tempting to curl up in bed and stay inside all day on your day off, if the weather's nice enough, then go out and get that double-whammy of fresh air and natural light.
2. Exercise
Now, we're going to be clear here – we're advocating exercise because of its endorphin-releasing qualities, and not as part of some New Year, New Me weight loss regime which, from an attitude and wellbeing perspective, can end up being a pretty toxic way to start the year. However, as a feel-good Blues-Beater™, well, it's hard to beat!
Endorphins are one of the body's feel-good chemicals released when we exercise. That's why you get the runner's high after going for a jog, or a sustained good mood after lifting weights. Exercise is one of the best natural remedies to combat depression and low mood.
We understand that often, the last thing you want to do after work is go for a run or to your local spin class. Kicking your feet up with a glass of wine can seem far more tempting, especially when it's dark outside. However, if you can bring yourself to do even something small, exercise-wise, we guarantee you'll feel good afterwards.
3. Talk it Out
When you're not feeling yourself, it can help to talk things through with someone. This can be a professional, like a therapist, or friends or family members – you can even open up to colleagues with whom you're close.
The more you bottle up your feelings, the worse you'll feel. Speaking to someone, however, can help lighten the load. Your brain has a nasty habit of acting like a pressure cooker if you let it; talking is one way of letting out that steam and bringing things down to a more manageable level.
Studies have shown that talking about how we're feeling, particularly our problems, can help reduce stress and improve our immune functioning. So, don't just take our word for it; trust the science!
4. Get Plenty of Sleep
Getting enough sleep is essential all-year-round, but especially during the winter months when we're more prone to low mood, irritability and anxiety. Aim for at least seven hours of sleep per night and look to improve your sleep hygiene where you're able.
That means trying to limit the amount of screen time you have in the hour or two leading up to going to sleep, as well as other tips such as using a night-time mode on your phone (this usually reduces/eliminates the blue light given off by your device).
5. Try to Eat Well
As we touched on before, the point of this blog is not to set you off on some New Year's health fad. However, eating well (if and when you're able) can help lift our mood and give us more energy, two of the things that people tend to struggle most with at this time of year.
Eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables can help keep your intake of essential vitamins and minerals high. Vitamin D, for instance, can help enhance your mood, so eating foods rich in this nutrient (like oily fish) or taking a multivitamin might help stave off the worst of the seasonal blues.
Accept That There'll Be Tough Days
For all the tips, tricks and techniques you deploy to beat the blues, there'll still be days that, for whatever reason, you feel off. That's just how we're wired – it's part of the human condition. Accepting this, rather than always looking for something to 'fix', is critical. Some days are going to be more challenging, and that's okay.
When it comes to certain mental health conditions, particularly anxiety and related disorders, there's a frantic desire to escape discomfort; to avoid it altogether. However, uncertainty, discomfort, anxiety, and stress are all natural emotions we experience in life.
So, on those tough days – even if you've done everything we've listed; you've exercised, got some natural light, and talked to someone – you don't need to fixate on finding something else to make the discomfort go away. You simply make space for it, acknowledge that it's there (and that it'll pass) and try and return to a value-driven activity.
Consider a New Position!
With a New year comes new possibilities and the chance to start afresh. Maybe your January Blues are particularly pronounced because you dislike the job you're in? Why not consider a new job or even an entirely new career? Here at Sanctuary Personnel, we have thousands of different jobs on offer, from social care careers to healthcare roles and much more besides.
Final Thoughts
The January Blues are never fun to deal with, but by following the steps outlined above, you can keep your mood stable at a more elevated level and avoid feeling down in the dumps for too long.
Remember, though, it's normal to have some days where you're just not feeling it, even when you're doing all the right things. The days are getting longer and lighter throughout January, and it'll be spring before you know it!
