Are you feeling a bit blue? Well if you are, you are not alone – it’s that time of year.

Lots of people suffer from the January blues. So before you decide to h*ll with dry January and drunkenly book a holiday to somewhere hot that you really can’t afford, take a look at this list which might help:

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1. Don’t fight it. There is no law saying you have to feel great all the time and if you didn’t have the lows you wouldn’t appreciate the highs! Admitting to yourself that you feel a bit blurgghh is better than pretending everything is ok when it isn’t.

2. Get some sleep! Everything seems worse when you are tired. Make sure you are getting a good nights sleep by turning off electronics an hour before bedtime. Go to bed at the same time each night and not staying up too late!

3. Are you eating enough and at the right times? Like lack of sleep being hungry can also make everything seem worse.

4. Try a type of acknowledging meditation – every time a negative or worried thought comes up just acknowledge it as a negative or worried thought. You don’t even need to sit down and concentrate if you don’t want to. Just try notice your thoughts (perhaps for a short period of time to start with) and when something not so nice comes into your head e.g. I have no money – just say to yourself – that was a negative thought. Don’t give it any more head space. If it comes back again, just repeat the process until it goes away.

5. Doing the above doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about your problems. Come back to them when you are in a happier, more positive mood and more able to think of constructive things to do about them. 

6. Think about everything you achieved last year. It doesn’t matter what bad sh*t went down – something good, in fact multiple good things will have happened. Make a list of them and give yourself a bit of time to dwell on how great you were!

7. Who helped you, looked out for you, did kind things for you, made a difference to your life last year, or even last week or this morning? Write a list of every kindness you can remember and say thanks to those kind people. There are a million ways to communicate these days, so there are really no excuses not to get in touch!

8. Who could do with your help? Helping feels great and there is always someone who needs help. There are such a range of things you could do. Obviously some are not possible in lockdown e.g. babysitting and dog walking. However even if stuck indoors, you can help out online and over the phone. You could volunteer to help on a help line, do zoom mentoring or help a friend spread the word about their small business. You don’t have to sign up for a regular thing if that is too much of a commitment – you could just do little things to help the people around you.

9. Give yourself some things to look forward to that are within your budget e.g. if you are really yearning after that holiday in a warm place and you own your own home, house swapping can be a really good way to save money on holiday costs. The sooner you start looking for a swap for the more likely you will be to find one.  You could also put some dates in the diary to see friends (even if it is over Zoom), or for other activities that you would enjoy that are in your budget e.g. get a takeaway.

10. Try listening to hypnotherapy CD’s/ downloads – there is one for every problem and you can listen to them whenever you feel rubbish (as long as you aren’t operating heavy machinery). You could start with my favourite one  – Learn How to Think Positively by Glenn Harrold.

I hope this list was helpful and that if you have been suffering from the January blues you are feeling a bit cheerier. I am not a doctor though and this advice is provided purely for entertainment purposes only. If you are worried about a health issue make sure you seek the advice of a register and qualified doctor. What are your tips for overcoming the January blues?