Divorce lawyers get excited about Blue Monday, typically the third Monday in January, as 70% of their private client divorce work for the year comes in during that week.
Pasty faces, festive credit card bills landing in the postbox, carb and booze overload, weight gain, family arguments, sniffles, go to work in the dark / come home in the dark, seasonal affective disorder, failed new year resolutions, cold weather and, for the Brits amongst us, top it up with: Brexit, a never-ending pandemic, all combine for a cocktail party of misery. It’s no surprise break-ups are rampant.
Social media tells us January can be beaten by exercising, focusing on mental wellbeing, eating properly, learning a new skill etc…
All well and good but why not keep it simple?
The 3-step guide to beating the January Blues:
Escape
Skiing for those who like that sort of thing and for the same price as a week in the mountains why not enjoy a couple of months in the sun? Many of us work remotely now and, for those without two comma bank balances, India is cheap to get to. The locals are great and speak English, WIFI is usually good, it can work out cheaper than staying in the UK with a little organisation, the weather is gorgeous with loads of daylight, great food and beaches. It’s not too late - why not book it now and have something to look forward to?
Avoid New Year Resolutions
The problem with most New Year's resolutions is they're just a want, a wish, a vague idea, there's no hard deadline or specificity to the goal. It's something that you're vaguely putting out in the universe. But the universe rewards those who are specific. The fact is that vague goals produce vague results. Leave them alone for this year.
Focus on the Good Stuff
It might sound glib but it works. For instance, you can set the tone of a meeting in the first 10 seconds. If you go in positive, the meeting should go well. Go in with a black cloud over your head and the meeting will likely go badly. Everybody is drawn to positivity. You might be feeling the pain of January but so is everyone else. Negativity reigns, so positivity is all the more attractive. The results might surprise you.
It never surprises how much more positive you can feel breaking up a cold long winter on a beach. And if you have broken up with your partner or you’re single and looking, take some real steps to find someone. This isn’t necessarily just a question of going to pubs and clubs, it’s thinking smart or getting someone else to help. Winter, strike that, any time, any place, is always better with the right person to share it with.
