There are many reasons to feel sad this time of the year. The festivities have finished, you’ve come back to your work routine and you are now far from your family.
The January Blues (Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD) is a medical condition that is a form of depression which people tend to feel after the Christmas holidays.
But not everything is lost in January – It is the perfect time to take up new hobbies and set new goals for the year. We have gathered the best tips to beat the January Blues this 2020.
7 Top Tips:
1. Avoid unrealistic New Year’s Resolutions
People often make New Year’s resolutions because everyone else does it, and usually, more often than not, those resolutions are too difficult to achieve. How many of us are dreaming of owning a brand-new Aston Martin or to be the next Kylie Jenner this 2020?
The perfect resolutions are those that can be measured and achieved relatively soon. One good resolution is to stop procrastinating. If we don’t reach the goal in the short term, we can feel guilty and, consequently, demotivated. No one likes to be a failure!
2. Go outside and do exercise
It is a very normal resolution, but it actually works. It doesn’t mean that you have to join a gym or run a marathon this month. If you don’t like sports or you don’t want to spend a fortune on gym memberships (not that we can actually join the gym right now! ), the easiest way to keep active is to walk at least 30 minutes a day. Not only will it give you a daily dose of endorphins, but you will also feel less guilty about any Christmas gluttony.
Exercise is proven to beat January Blues according to the National Institue of Mental Health. It will give you more energy to face your office routine and it reduces stress and anxiety as well.
3. Eat well
It is normal for us to want more fatty and heavy food during the cold months of winter. You’ve probably eaten a lot of sweets by this time. The more sugary things you eat the more you crave… Apart from being very unhealthy, sugar crashes cause tiredness and make you crave food unnecessarily.
When you eat lots of greens and fresh food, and you keep a balanced diet, your body gets happier, and your mood improves significantly.
4. Get a resolution buddy
Find a friend who has the same resolution for this year, so you can work together and keep each other honest. This is also a good way to push yourself a little and start making new plans. Even though you can’t meet up in person just now, there is zoom and other ways to keep in touch and motivate each other!
Once you begin to do something together you would encourage each other and will reach the goals easier and faster.
5. Identify your worries
If there’s something that is making you feel anxious or stressed, you can make a list and add possible solutions to the problems. Maybe you can’t find a perfect or immediate solution for them, but somehow, you would be able to specify where the problem comes from and how to overcome it.
It can be a good idea to write things down on paper. This is a simple way to have a general idea of what you want to change, what it looks like and how much it’s worrying you.
6. Do something new
Have you ever felt bored or stuck? Do you think you always repeat the same things over and over again and feel tired of it? New Year, new ideas! You have to move away from your comfort zone, as it only creates a sense of dependency and blocks your mental development.
Try a new sport or a hobby this year. Throw ideas around and choose which one suits you. Doing activities with friends helps you keep motivated.
7. Plan a holiday
One of the main reasons why we find January depressing is the mix of dark days, the cold and miserable weather.
It’s not the best time to book a holiday but you can 100% plan and get excited for one. Why not travel abroad virtually, we will show you step up step how to travel in the comfort of your own home! We know it’s not ideal but it’s nice to have something to look forward to in the future, plan who you’ll go with, where you’ll go and what you’ll do while you are there!
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