As the festivities come to an end, we are often struck by a feeling of gloom during the long month of January. 

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is no longer there to distract us and the warmth and camaraderie one feels at reunions often dissipates as guests return home. January is often a gloomy month, but we’ve come up with three tips to help you beat the January blahs. 

Make Plans & Set Intentions for the Upcoming Year 

One of our favourite tips to beating the January Blues is to make some plans and set your intentions for the year. The passing of time is not so unbearable when you have something exciting to look forwards to. Take the opportunity during these long evenings to do some research and hatch some fun plans with friends and family. Whether you plan something weeks or months in advance, you are not only giving yourself something to focus your energy on but you are sharing that feeling with a friend too.  

When setting your intentions for the year, it is important to be realistic to avoid disappointment. Try setting only 1 or 2 small goals that will make a difference when done each day, like making the bed each morning or getting out of bed 15 minutes earlier to avoid the morning rush. 

Do Something Kind for a Stranger or Friend 

There is some research to suggest that when you help others, it can boost your own happiness too. There are plenty of small ways to make someone’s day, like paying for their coffee or gifting them flowers. You can get creative with what you do, or just do what you can, and perhaps you’ll even make a new friend along the way! 

Make the most of the Daylight 

We don’t have much daylight during the winter, so it is important to make the most of it where we can. Wrap yourself up warm and head outside for a short while each day – see how much you can notice now that isn’t present throughout the rest of the year. You could even make a journal of all the things you find in each month so you can remind yourself what to look forwards to again next year! 

Try Something New 

Is there something that you’ve always fancied learning? It could be how to press flowers, or baking, or learning a dance style, or anything that you’ve ever thought could be fun. Whilst away some winter hours and potentially pick up a new hobby that could enrich your life throughout the rest of the year too!