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Feeling like you’ve got a case of the January blues? Not to worry…our lovely authors give us tips on how to recover from the festive period and beat the blues!
January is cold, wet, cold, windy and well, COLD around the Pacific Northwest. I love it because that gives me lots of time to snuggle up inside to read. I’m so looking forward to trying a couple of steamy stories to warm me up from the new Dare series, as well as reading books by my long time faves this wintry season. And as always, I’ll have a mug of peppermint tea handy to stave off the winter chill.
This is going to sound counter-intuitive, but I’d recommend doing Dry January! Especially if you have a habit of over-indulging at Christmas (like moi). Cutting out the booze is a great way to give you extra pep, stimulate endorphins and make you feel smug about how fabulous you are…
Option One:
- Hide the alcohol.
- Stock up on healthy food before NYE, because after? Everyone’s doing the same! Last year there wasn’t any broccoli to be found within 20 miles!
- Be kind to yourself.
- Hide all the alcohol (yes, it does bear repeating).
Option Two:
- Find all the chocolate, crisps and alcohol in the house and… hide it.
- Book a sun-filled holiday for February.
- Be kind to yourself.
- Take a walk at sunrise and appreciate it.
- Find something that makes you laugh and do it. Once a day.’
Two tips:
- Book Hamilton (or other hard to get live venue) tickets for December. Then throughout the year, when things go wrong, you can think – ah but I have this unique event coming up.
- Go to see the Winnie-the-Pooh exhibit at the V&A and unleash your inner child by sitting beside the house at Pooh corner, listening to the bees, or playing a game of Poohsticks on a virtual river, looking at the marvellous drawing by E.H Shepard. Alternatively re-read the books and bask in the illustrations and the language.
Because my daughter and I have just finished binge-watching it – The Marvellous Mrs Maisel lifts the spirits. Totally feel good, it’s about a 1950’s Jewish housewife in a wealthy area of NYC, whose husband leaves to become a stand-up comic as she reassesses her life. The clothes are to die for. The woman who was responsible for the Gilmore Girls was involved in the production. It is laugh-out-loud funny.
The only downside is that the episodes are like eating chocolate and it is hard to stop at just one.
January is a great time to reconnect with old friends and make new ones. Send belated cards to anyone you missed during the holidays. Call old friends and family you haven’t heard from lately—no texting. Pick ten or twenty people you don’t know well from your social media contacts and PM a Happy January greeting.
I beat the January blues by planning a trip that I really look forward to, catching up on reading and starting a project that I have been putting off because of lack of time.
For me, it’s all about choosing “good” but satisfying alternatives to the things I’ve been (over) indulging in over the festive period—in particular, that means switching to alcohol free drinks. A good quality gin-less tonic with ice and a slice of lime is great for tricking the taste buds and the bubbles still give you that wonderful warming tickle inside!
If you are feeling really blue and the weather is as blue that you just want to hide away, watch a comedy movie or find humorous clips online. Laughter is the best medicine after all!