How to beat the January Blues??

jr86 · 16-01-2020 12:43pm

miamee wrote: »

Thanks to the 6 million days in January, we haven't had much to spend on entertaining ourselves through January :pac: but I have made sure we have something on every weekend as much as possible whether that's visiting friends or family, meeting up with people for coffees or going out for walks. So far so good but how the heck is it still only the 16th?

Same - all my weekends are booked up until the end of Feb (incl weekends for just relaxing by the way

)

Personally love having a full schedule like that ahead to look forward to. I always have to plan my weekend in advance, I'm way too routine-oriented

This week is definitely dragging alright - despite the fact I'm flat out at work. But hey tomorrow is friday and before you know it will be into the 20s of January and only a week or so left!

Sundew wrote: »

I actually don’t mind the month of January. I usually find it an exciting month to start planning the year ahead. I always try and attend the Holiday Show in the RDS. It’s great for giving a lift after packing away the Christmas decor. I also love awaiting the arrival of the first Spring bulbs and already have snowdrops and daffodils in bloom!&#55356;&#57148;

Yeah am hoping to finalise holiday plans this weekend myself!

I do like January in the sense that I use it to implement more good habits and in general I find it a very productive and fulfilling period in the sense that I eat well, exercise well, in bed early and up early - well as much as I can anyway! Psycholgically its wayyyy harder to commit to these things when the summer comes along and in December ( in my experience anyway!) so in my view it can be nice to have a good chance to do it, with generally little distraction

DvB · 16-01-2020 12:50pm

miamee wrote: »

Thanks to the 6 million days in January, we haven't had much to spend on entertaining ourselves through January :pac: but I have made sure we have something on every weekend as much as possible whether that's visiting friends or family, meeting up with people for coffees or going out for walks. So far so good but how the heck is it still only the 16th?

Funny how people have different perceptions of how fast (or slow) time goes by. Since coming back to work last Monday the month seems to be flying by. I suppose the fact my work diary is filling up already into February makes it appear to be going at a rate o knots anyway.

TRS30 · 16-01-2020 1:56pm

miamee wrote: »

Thanks to the 6 million days in January, we haven't had much to spend on entertaining ourselves through January :pac: but I have made sure we have something on every weekend as much as possible whether that's visiting friends or family, meeting up with people for coffees or going out for walks. So far so good but how the heck is it still only the 16th?

I'm the opposite, I like have nothing planned/to do weekends so can just go with the flow and do as little or much as we want. Last weekend was great, left the house twice all weekend. This weekend looking pretty quiet two

Sundew wrote: »

I actually don’t mind the month of January. I usually find it an exciting month to start planning the year ahead. I always try and attend the Holiday Show in the RDS. It’s great for giving a lift after packing away the Christmas decor. I also love awaiting the arrival of the first Spring bulbs and already have snowdrops and daffodils in bloom!&#55356;&#57148;

Have noticed my daffodils are sprouting already. Assumed it was down to the mild weather the last couple of weeks.

kitten_k · 16-01-2020 2:11pm

Just booked my summer holiday

Didn't get a holiday last year so looking forward to this one! Going here:

https://slasuites.com/en/

TRS30 · 16-01-2020 2:27pm

kitten_k wrote: »

Just booked my summer holiday Didn't get a holiday last year so looking forward to this one! Going here:

https://slasuites.com/en/

Nice. Always good to have something to look forward to

DvB · 16-01-2020 2:41pm

kitten_k wrote: »

Just booked my summer holiday Didn't get a holiday last year so looking forward to this one! Going here:

https://slasuites.com/en/

We're holidaying (great word that:D) in Puerta Del Carmen this summer as well.
Its a fantastic spot.

Posy · 16-01-2020 3:20pm

Best of luck, leahyl!

Fingers crossed you get it.

Postgrad10 · 16-01-2020 6:47pm

Hope today went well Leahy.

Ikozma · 16-01-2020 6:51pm

I hate January too, the fact I have a birthday in early Jan doesn't help, depressed as hell and a year older to boot

leahyl · 16-01-2020 7:47pm

Hi guys, thanks for the well wishes, I think it went ok! Well, it wasn’t a disaster anyway so that’s the main thing. Have to wait about 2 weeks now though before I hear, but I’m just relieved to have it done!

Loughc · 16-01-2020 10:19pm

leahyl wrote: »

Hi guys, thanks for the well wishes, I think it went ok! Well, it wasn’t a disaster anyway so that’s the main thing. Have to wait about 2 weeks now though before I hear, but I’m just relieved to have it done!

Well done Leahyl fingers crossed for you that you’ll get it!!

Although the promotion better now leave you too busy to post here :pac: :P

CheerLouth · 17-01-2020 10:57am

kitten_k wrote: »

Just booked my summer holiday Didn't get a holiday last year so looking forward to this one! Going here:

https://slasuites.com/en/

Any room for a small one? Mr. CL says no summer holiday again this year

We didn't have one last year either.

Postgrad10 · 17-01-2020 5:34pm

CheerLouth wrote: »

Any room for a small one? Mr. CL says no summer holiday again this year We didn't have one last year either.

I haven’t had one in 10 years.

tamara25 · 17-01-2020 6:11pm

I absolutely hate January, very depressing month. There will be a sense of relief when February arrives. I think I will put my the Xmas tree up in November this year. Love having it up early :-)

kitten_k · 17-01-2020 8:12pm

CheerLouth wrote: »

Any room for a small one? Mr. CL says no summer holiday again this year We didn't have one last year either.

Sure I’ll stick you in my suitcase

Posy · 18-01-2020 12:57am

I don't think I could emotionally get through the year without a holiday!!

One More Toy · 18-01-2020 7:01pm

I never thought I'd say this but January blues is real. All the excitement of the Xmas season over and cold dark days

Loughc · 18-01-2020 8:26pm

One More Toy wrote: »

I never thought I'd say this but January blues is real. All the excitement of the Xmas season over and cold dark days

Thankfully January is Almost over.

jr86 · 18-01-2020 9:21pm

Into the 20s on Monday.. only one full week left!

Dublin was absolutely dead most places yesterday evening people must really be taking this dry January seriously :pac:

On the flip side of that I've never seen the gym as busy as these days. It really is the industry to be in nowadays!

Postgrad10 · 18-01-2020 9:53pm

It’s nearly over ! Shops were deserted today. Where is everyone ?

jr86 · 18-01-2020 9:56pm

Postgrad10 wrote: »

It’s nearly over ! Shops were deserted today. Where is everyone ?

The gym / walking / running etc. :pac:

I don't think I've ever seen anything like it in terms of people out exercising

TRS30 · 20-01-2020 9:45am

Loughc wrote: »

Thankfully January is Almost over.

I always break months up into thirds; 1-9 start, 10-19 middle and 20-30/31- end.

So we are officially into the end of January, short month next, then Paddys, Easter in the blink of an eye, summer will fly by and then it will be September, kids be back to school and Christmas build up will begin

CheerLouth · 20-01-2020 10:08am

Posy wrote: »

I don't think I could emotionally get through the year without a holiday!!

I find it really hard to do it. Mr. CL can do it no bother but I always have to have something to look forward to, even if it's just a day off. We are going to CentreParcs at the end of Feb & if it's as good as it's meant to be, we might book it for September.

jr86 · 20-01-2020 10:13am

Into the 20s now in January... Almost a month since Christmas!

TRS30 · 20-01-2020 10:37am

CheerLouth wrote: »

..... We are going to CentreParcs at the end of Feb & if it's as good as it's meant to be, we might book it for September.

Was looking at CentreParcs yesterday and was very pricey IMO. Would love to go as sounds/looks great however not sure we can afford it so soon after Christmas.

Are you doing the Mon-Fri or Fri-Mon? Best value seemed to be a 3 bed in the week before Paddys.

DvB · 20-01-2020 10:38am

jr86 wrote: »

Into the 20s now in January... Almost a month since Christmas!

First Rudolph day of the year coming up on Saturday!! Time to break out the christmas socks again

CheerLouth · 20-01-2020 10:41am

TRS30 wrote: »

Was looking at CentreParcs yesterday and was very pricey IMO. Would love to go as sounds/looks great however not sure we can afford it so soon after Christmas.

Are you doing the Mon-Fri or Fri-Mon? Best value seemed to be a 3 bed in the week before Paddys.

I booked it before Christmas & I did look recently and think the price had gone up. It is dear enough but that said, you do get the aquapark included in the price of it. We are doing Fri-Mon (I didn't want the eldest to miss too much school even though it's only Junior Infants). I think if you have Tesco Clubcard vouchers, you can boost 40euro worth of them and you end up with 160euro off, but you have to enter them when you are making the booking.

TRS30 · 20-01-2020 11:09am

CheerLouth wrote: »

I booked it before Christmas & I did look recently and think the price had gone up. It is dear enough but that said, you do get the aquapark included in the price of it. We are doing Fri-Mon (I didn't want the eldest to miss too much school even though it's only Junior Infants). I think if you have Tesco Clubcard vouchers, you can boost 40euro worth of them and you end up with 160euro off, but you have to enter them when you are making the booking.

Yea my wife mentioned about using Tesco points alright. The aquapark does look amazing, nice warm water in middle of winter! Might look again for around Easter time as wife is back in work late April and we wanted to get away for a few days before then. Similarly don't want ELF1 to miss too much school so would probably go for the Fri-Mon as well. Be interesting to hear what you think or if anyone else has been already.

auspicious · 20-01-2020 11:15am

You're in Dublin. Get stuck-in with a charity.
You'll feel much better helping others.

The Nal · 20-01-2020 11:21am

Happy Blue Monday everyone

Posy · 20-01-2020 1:02pm

A few places are doing Blue Monday sales... it's like Black Friday all over again! :pac:

The Nal · 20-01-2020 1:07pm

Posy wrote: »

A few places are doing Blue Monday sales... it's like Black Friday all over again! :pac:

FFS. The whole point of blue Monday is that everyone is supposed to be broke!

DvB · 20-01-2020 1:27pm

Posy wrote: »

A few places are doing Blue Monday sales... it's like Black Friday all over again! :pac:

Pretty sure i read somewhere a couple of years ago that blue monday is a fabrication created by the travel industry to try and get folk to book holidays... imo its nowhere near the most depressing day of the year anyway, loads of worse days in the post I suspect!

The Nal · 20-01-2020 1:41pm

DvB wrote: »

Pretty sure i read somewhere a couple of years ago that blue monday is a fabrication created by the travel industry to try and get folk to book holidays... imo its nowhere near the most depressing day of the year anyway, loads of worse days in the post suspect!

Thankfully not me anymore but it is if you were paid early in December and don't get paid until next week. 5 week pay cycle. I remember having a 2 euro coin left one year the day before payday.

DvB · 20-01-2020 1:54pm

The Nal wrote: »

Thankfully not me anymore but it is if you were paid early in December and don't get paid until next week. 5 week pay cycle. I remember having a 2 euro coin left one year the day before payday.

I have a number of 5 week months (between paydays) its just something you budget for when paid by the month IMO.
Dont get me wrong, I'm not saying its not harder to get through the extra week but I dont buy the whole blue monday thing myself.

CheerLouth · 20-01-2020 1:54pm

Admittedly I'm looking forward to pay day on Friday but that said, there have been worse days in Jan. At this point of the month, I'm thinking that Jan is nearly over, pay day is on the horizon & it's February next week already! When you think of it like that, it's actually flown by!

Posy · 20-01-2020 7:08pm

Woo, pay day on Friday! \o/

Loughc · 20-01-2020 9:19pm

jr86 wrote: »

Into the 20s now in January... Almost a month since Christmas!

It genuinely feels like a lifetime ago since little Christmas let alone Christmas.

Posy · 21-01-2020 9:17am

It does! Feels like a long time ago.

Although I'm actually only taking the tree in my kitchen down tonight... :pac:

DvB · 21-01-2020 9:25am

Loughc wrote: »

It genuinely feels like a lifetime ago since little Christmas let alone Christmas.

I have to agree, Christmas feels more than only 3 or 4 weeks ago. January seems to be moving at a nice pace, & i'm not complaining, after the drag that was Jan 2018 (I still remember it lasting what felt like 3 or 4 months) any avoidance of that is to be welcomed.

Miserable damp morning there today though, could do without days like that.
Anyway, coffee time!!

Postgrad10 · 21-01-2020 11:27am

In a way I was happy being fully busy at work the first 2 weeks of January. Quieter this week though which is making me miss Christmas more. It’ll get busier again in the next two weeks so I should enjoy it while I can.

Loughc · 21-01-2020 11:45am

Postgrad10 wrote: »

In a way I was happy being fully busy at work the first 2 weeks of January. Quieter this week though which is making me miss Christmas more. It’ll get busier again in the next two weeks so I should enjoy it while I can.

Same today is the first day since I came back after the holidays I can come up for air and one of the first thoughts this morning was a nostalgic thought of Christmas....

DvB · 21-01-2020 11:56am

Loughc wrote: »

Same today is the first day since I came back after the holidays I can come up for air and one of the first thoughts this morning was a nostalgic thought of Christmas....

Bizarre, first quiet enough day for me also. Though other than my daily check in here I have to be honest & admit I have no real yearnings for the Christmas just gone.
I suspect having the twins birthday celebrations at the weekend helped buffer me again from christmas though.
I actually cant remember the last time I felt this 'over' Christmas so soon after the event, dare I say it but has my love for it wained!?:eek: I suspect not and its more a case of after 7/8 years of having young kids etc It was simply at its peak enjoyment level & with the kids now getting older & more used to it, its starting to resettle slightly. Just means we need to reinvent it for ourselves as the family gets older.

Loughc · 21-01-2020 12:41pm

DvB wrote: »

Bizarre, first quiet enough day for me also. Though other than my daily check in here I have to be honest & admit I have no real yearnings for the Christmas just gone.
I suspect having the twins birthday celebrations at the weekend helped buffer me again from christmas though.
I actually cant remember the last time I felt this 'over' Christmas so soon after the event, dare I say it but has my love for it wained!?:eek: I suspect not and its more a case of after 7/8 years of having young kids etc It was simply at its peak enjoyment level & with the kids now getting older & more used to it, its starting to resettle slightly. Just means we need to reinvent it for ourselves as the family gets older.

I think being so busy in January doesn't give me anytime to miss Christmas as such so I'm kinda only getting to that now.

Yeah I say you're spot on in your assessment about Christmas resettling down for you, I find the same it comes in cycles, I find with every different stage of my life I enjoy and appreciate something different with Christmas.

You're just moving into your next stage, try starting traditions like Movie nights or board game nights or jigsaw days that the kids can continue to partake in even when they're older.

jr86 · 21-01-2020 1:29pm

January flying by for myself - absolutely flat out at work, which is great in a way

i think the fact Christmas seems so long ago is just psychological as its an event that compromises your regular routine for 11 months of the year. Several events in October and November feel more recent to me than Christmas

DvB wrote: »

I actually cant remember the last time I felt this 'over' Christmas so soon after the event, dare I say it but has my love for it wained!?:eek: I suspect not and its more a case of after 7/8 years of having young kids etc It was simply at its peak enjoyment level & with the kids now getting older & more used to it, its starting to resettle slightly. Just means we need to reinvent it for ourselves as the family gets older.

Yep exact same

Absolutely love Christmas but by the end up I'm just feeling bloated and almost without purpose!

Personally I like having to get up early again, to work hard, to eat relatively decent and to exercise properly again

But i'd never change Christmas for the world!

Loughc · 21-01-2020 1:36pm

jr86 wrote: »

Absolutely love Christmas but by the end up I'm just feeling bloated and almost without purpose!

Personally I like having to get up early again, to work hard, to eat relatively decent and to exercise properly again

See Christmas does give you purpose, to eat better and exercise more in January :P

Without Christmas we'd have nothing to work on in January. :pac:

TRS30 · 21-01-2020 1:57pm

Loughc wrote: »

Yeah I say you're spot on in your assessment about Christmas resettling down for you, I find the same it comes in cycles, I find with every different stage of my life I enjoy and appreciate something different with Christmas.

I can totally relate to this. From my late teens till early 30s, Christmas was going out with my friends and being drunk/hungover 90% of the time. Then when met now wife, was more couples stuff, dinners out etc. Then kids came and all are still at the young age so its all about Santa and the 'real' magic of Christmas. I know this will pass and as they get older and don't believe anymore, it will change again. Part of me dreads that already however i'll embrace it like all change.

DvB · 21-01-2020 2:47pm

TRS30 wrote: »

Then kids came and all are still at the young age so its all about Santa and the 'real' magic of Christmas. I know this will pass and as they get older and don't believe anymore it will change again. Part of me dreads that already however i'll embrace it like all change.

As ours have turned 9 now we're starting to see the end of the 'innocent' years with them already asking cryptic questions about believing etc. With so many of their classmates telling them whats what its a wonder they still query it at all in fact.

I had a strong feeling when we were up at Causey farm before christmas to see santa that it might be our last santa experience as later this year they'll be just 10, so I asked them on the way home if they would rather do something instead of a santa experience next year (ie. for 2020) & whilst they still in the moment declared that they absolutely would want to go & see santa I get a strong suspicion it was our last trip, or at least the last that was a big deal to them anyway.

I wont lie, a part of me is saddened to think its all coming to an end as it went by in the blink of an eye, but as outlined in others posts above I suspect it'll just be a case of adapting to the changing landscape & still making Christmas a big deal for us as a family, rather than just through their eyes or suchlike.

All good things come to an end as they say, so its time to find some new things to keep the magic going thats all:)

CheerLouth · 21-01-2020 2:52pm

DvB wrote: »

As ours have turned 9 now we're starting to see the end of the 'innocent' years with them already asking cryptic questions about believing etc. With so many of their classmates telling them whats what its a wonder they still query it at all in fact.

9 just seems so young to me to be already questioning Christmas

I actually dread the day my guys start questioning it. And the thoughts of their peers ruining it for them :mad::(:(:(

DvB · 21-01-2020 2:59pm

CheerLouth wrote: »

9 just seems so young to me to be already questioning Christmas I actually dread the day my guys start questioning it. And the thoughts of their peers ruining it for them :mad::(:(:(

It did for us too.

The real problem is so many of their classmates having older siblings who couldnt wait to ruin the magic for their younger siblings who in turn used their new found knowledge as a means to belittle anyone else who did still believe.

We actually had the teacher tell my wife about 2 weeks before Christmas that my Daughter got into trouble for arguing with a classmate over Santa being real or not, with my one sticking up for 'believe'... at the time I was proud of her for sticking up for what she believed in but I could see the weight of argument against her eroding that belief since then.

I'm pretty sure I was a lot older before I truly started to question, though they were far more innocent times way back then

How to beat the January Blues??

Comments

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year" - Charles Dickens

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year" - Charles Dickens

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year" - Charles Dickens

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year" - Charles Dickens

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year" - Charles Dickens

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year" - Charles Dickens

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year" - Charles Dickens

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year" - Charles Dickens

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year" - Charles Dickens