5 amazing tips/hacks to crush January & beat those New Year blues!

Yesterday was the 1st Monday of January 2021…!

How is that even possible?

After such a traumatic year for many, we have rolled into a new year and I’ll be honest, I am finding it difficult to see the light…I am sure many of us are.

However, this is nothing new…New Year and January blues are totally and completely normal, so don’t beat yourself up for feeling a little low and unmotivated this time of year. In fact, ‘Seasonal Affective Disorder’ or ‘SAD’ as it is ironically nicknamed, affects ‘29 per cent of adults, with symptoms ranging from low energy levels, to low self-esteem and anxiety.’

This figure is from a 2014 study by The Weather Channel. Fast forward 6 years and throw in the hardest year many of us have had to endure and I wouldn’t be surprised if that number was much higher…oh and bad news for you lovely ladies out there, according to the study, it’s twice as likely to affect us gals!

Here’s a few helpful tips to slowly guide you and navigate through this difficult month…

1. STOP MAKING UNREALISTIC RESOLUTIONS!

Unless my resolutions are realistic and achievable when I don’t keep them, I feel worse about myself. Sound familiar?

We’ve had a really difficult 12 months and it ain’t over yet! Stop making outlandish resolutions and give yourself a break…perhaps a small challenge would be better this year?

Also, who is to say you can only make resolutions in January!!?? Why not have weekly or monthly resolutions that are much more digestible and will boost your sense of achievement. Here’s a few examples:

‘I will get outside for 20 mins every day in January.’ (Adjust to 30 mins in Feb to motivate you!)

‘I will call a friend or loved one I haven’t seen due to the pandemic once a week in January.’

‘I will read and finish 1 book in January.’

‘I will not wear my pyjamas on EVERY zoom call I make this month!’ (Even if it is just the bottom half!)

2. Invest in a Vitamin D spray.

One reason why we feel so low in January is lack of Vitamin D from sunlight from the winter months. (Vitamin D keeps our bones and muscles healthy and there have been claims that it also boosts energy.)

Now, don’t get me wrong…nothing beats fresh air and exercise and vitamin D from the sun, but it’s frickin’ freezing at the minute and we’re all staying inside more due to the current restrictions. Keep a vitamin D spray next to your bed or in your underwear drawer and spritz against the inside of your cheek once a day. (You change your undies every day…keeping the spray somewhere you access every day without thinking about it will keep you get into the habit of using your spray.)

Check out some great vitamin D information here:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/9-foods-high-in-vitamin-d

https://www.healthline.com/health/vegan-vitamin-d

https://www.which.co.uk/news/2020/06/vitamin-d-tablets-vs-sprays-vs-gummies-the-best-way-to-get-your-daily-dose/

3. STOP watching the news 24/7.

This is by far my favourite hack! Go to the news for your local and national information, but once you know the score, do your brain a favour and switch it off. I find 830-9am the best time for updates and the occasional lunch time update. I love to have a healthy breakfast and set myself up for the day with the latest info, then switch it off and go about my day safely and appropriately. Find a time that works for you, your job and your daily intentions.

4. Do you really love your phone?

I am NOT a fan of being on my phone all day. I hate that I am contactable 24/7 and I really don’t like that people think it’s appropriate to text/whatsapp/tag at all hours of the day and night. However, I do love that I can talk to my Mum at the touch of a button and I use Google maps everywhere I go, even Tesco…which I go to 2 or 3 times a week, lol! This lock down would be a great time to assess your relationship with your phone…make it work for you, ask yourself how it can add to your life and check if your phone has a ‘digital balance’ so you can monitor and prohibit your phone usage.

Check out ‘How To Break Up With Your Phone’ by Catherine Price, also available as audio book if you need something to listen to on your daily walk, for amazing tips and advice on how to have a healthy relationship with your device.

Side note, DO NOT ARGUE WITH PEOPLE ONLINE!! Even if you are sure you are 100% correct…people are anxious, confused and mostly don’t know what they are talking about, fuelling conversations online is unhealthy and generally incorrect.

n.b. Reaching out online to friends can be positive at this time, just try and limit the amount of ‘mindless scrolling’ you do…or hop on zoom with a pal once a week to prevent getting sucked into the ‘timeline’ rabbit hole.

5. FRESH AIR WILL CURE YOU!

I can’t tell you how much this last year has made me realise how valuable moving my body in the fresh air is. You MUST prioritise getting outside every day, no excuses. Walking outside once a day for 45 mins or so has boosted my mood, immunity, health and mindset, I also arrange phone calls with friends and family members and they get out and walk too...what a way to engage with people you can’t see during lock down and also gain some health benefits too.

Want to take it to the next level? How about trying a couch to 5k? Plan your day around your daily walk, run or work out, not the other way around. Try and make it the main priority for you and your family for a few weeks and before you know it, it’ll be a habit you can’t live without.

All in all, there is no ‘one right way’ to get through January, or ‘lock down life’ for that matter, especially with the uncertainty of restrictions coming at us from all angles. It is hard to plan the year at the minute, we can’t control that, so let’s take it 1 day or 1 week at a time. Focus on getting the small things right so when the big problems of the pandemic come along, like loss of employment, illness or mental health problems, we have the mental capacity and strength to properly deal with these matters.

Good luck, stay strong and keep wearing that mask and washing your hands!

Emma Wallace