How to beat the January Blues??

07-06-2014 2:44pm

Glitzgirl wrote: »

I love it ! Was just thinking that today ! I really don't count oct nov or dec as such , because I spend sept getting ready for oct and halloween , and Christmas officially starts in this house 1st November and the Christmas madness begins! So I like to say its only really 3 months til Christmas season begins !

h
I love your reasoning!! Hubby hasn't had a chance to go searching yet, its a lovely day here, so we are out gardening etc

Glitzgirl · 07-06-2014 5:41pm

Mayo Gurl wrote: »

h
I love your reasoning!! Hubby hasn't had a chance to go searching yet, its a lovely day here, so we are out gardening etc

I'm not sure my OH would agree with you (he is the original grinch ha) but its how I survive through the year !

oh I would be using any excuse to get up there and have a good nose through it be like christmas came early !

hmm putting me to shame I had Mr Glitzgirl out doing some work yesterday think he's avoiding me today in case I have any more .... :eek:

micromary · 02-11-2014 1:02pm

Hope all is well folks! Less then 2 months left and the January Blues seem far away!!!! Can't wait for the Christmas preparations to start!

micromary · 24-12-2014 12:48am

2 nights to go. Forget January and lets enjoy this beautiful time of year. Roll on too much food, drink. In fact the whole lot!

Most important thing for January = remember it comes around quickly again and 2. keep busy!

Loughc · 02-01-2015 12:56am

And here we are and the January blues have well and truely kicked in! I'm back to work tomorrow after almost two weeks off, I know I have no right to complain as I am very lucky to get so much time off not like the unfortunate world of retail and I'm only in for one day and off for two thanks to the way the holidays landed, but I'm just sad as this Christmas seemed to go wayyyy quicker than any other year as I was so busy!

Toto Wolfcastle · 02-01-2015 1:07am

My husband finished work on Christmas Eve and was back on the 30th. He had today off too, but otherwise he was working. For the couple of days he was back at work I didn't feel festive at all. It was kind of sad.

One thing that I would highly recommend to kick start the year and help with the January Blues would be to start a happy jar. I wrote down all the happy things that happened to me throughout the year and put them into a jar. (Two massive jars, actually, stuffed full of pieces of paper!) We read through them on New Year's Eve and it was lovely. We went through something very very difficult this year (last year now I suppose!) and reading all the great things we did helped us to realise that the hard times were outnumbered by the great times. I wrote down some funny conversations and things that happened too so we had great fun reading some of those! I've already started this year's jar and it's lovely to start the year with something so positive.

Loughc · 02-01-2015 1:18am

First thing to go into my jar.... Today I discovered what a happy Jar is!!

Great idea!

Day Lewin · 02-01-2015 7:39pm

I just LOVE the Christmas decorations: we hang bunches of holly in every corner with red bows in it, and ivy along tops of doors etc. It looks lovely, if I say so myself, with little red cherry lights too.

I hate taking them down and always wait until January 6th has been and gone and I've put the Kings into the crib.
Next morning it's curtains for the holly but the dry bunches are wonderful kindling.
The corners looks so grubby and cobwebby afterwards so a bit of spring cleaning is due...and planning my annual Purdah:
I go out of social circulation and revel in solitary pursuits like reading, crafting, napping; and planning the next social event...one month after Christmas!

BuilderPlumber · 02-01-2015 8:01pm

A part of the problem I find with Christmas in recent years is how quickly they want to kill it off after New Year's Day. There once was a feeling that NYD was the middle of the celebrations with the 6th January being the last day. Now, even the schools are finishing earlier and going back earlier and are back Monday whereas once it was the 7th.

The other end of the extreme is we hear too much about Christmas too early. Personally, I think Christmas should be from around 22nd December - 9th January in line with Christian teachings. But atheism combined with consumerism has made 6th January and the initial days after irrelevant for their agendas.

Notice all these agendas too? We are told to stock up and feast like there's no tomorrow during commercial Christmas period from around late October to NYD. Then, it is all diets, fitness and exercise for January. Again, we are being sold a lifestyle just because it is a certain month. Again, I hate all this post-Christmas day sales agenda too.

To beat the January blues? Well, do not go along with the official notion of what post-Christmas January is supposed to be. Do your own things, enjoy yourself and embrace different things. Continue on the Christmas feeling if you can. For some, especially shop workers, it is a good time to relax and I know many friends who look forward to the coming period when the hussle bussle of Christmas and the sales has receded. Also, be thankful for the nice weather thus far. Poor weather conditions ruined Christmas, January and half of February for us this time last year.

Loughc · 02-01-2015 8:25pm

Builderplumber that maybe post of the year, despite the year being only two days old. I logged in to post a similar post on a different thread about how little Christmas the 6th of January isn't respected anymore.

delw · 03-01-2015 12:27am

I miss christmas already

Loughc · 03-01-2015 12:32am

delw wrote: »

I miss christmas already

Me too

The tree is still up but I know it's on borrowed time!!

Baggy Trousers · 03-01-2015 12:59am

Christmas breaks up the winter perfectly. We're getting an extra minute or two every evening of extra light so January aint all bad. I find November a bigger drag.

Loughc · 03-01-2015 1:29am

Baggy Trousers wrote: »

Christmas breaks up the winter perfectly. We're getting an extra minute or two every evening of extra light so January aint all bad. I find November a bigger drag.

No way November is great fun that's when the real build up to Christmas starts!

Posy · 03-01-2015 1:39am

November is my favourite month of the year!
Like Loughc said, I find it all about the build up and the excitement. Getting the last few bits and bobs for Christmas, browsing the Brown Thomas Christmas shop when it's still nice and quiet, putting up my decorations at the end of the month, the forum here starts to really come alive and the Christmas trees and lights are put up and switched on in the city centre.

scream · 03-01-2015 2:44pm

October's my favourite. You've got Halloween right at the end, the clocks go back which really makes me feel that the run up to Christmas has kicked in big time, and of course there's still a nice bit of a run up to Christmas itself. On a related note i was watching 'room 101' on tv last night and they had a 4 month advent calendar. I want one of those soo badly I can almost taste it. I've a feeling they made it specially for the show though since Google was no help at all. It covers the months September, October, November and December. Was bloody great!

Loughc · 03-01-2015 3:31pm

I say it every year the as soon as the advent calendar goes up christmas seems to fly in!! A four month one should help haha.

Overflow · 03-01-2015 11:16pm

Loughc wrote: »

I say it every year the as soon as the advent calendar goes up christmas seems to fly in!! A four month one should help haha.

Why not a 12 month one

scream · 04-01-2015 1:14am

Overflow wrote: »

Why not a 12 month one

Even better. I challenge you to find one. My Googling wasn't even up to the job of finding the 4 month one.

Loughc · 04-01-2015 1:20am

You given me the idea tho for this year to buy 2 advent calendars in November and start them 48 days before Christmas so thank you for that

scream · 04-01-2015 1:53am

Yesterday in my search for a 4 month advent calendar I came across an actual Halloween advent calendar, with the full 31 days. I'm damned if I can find it again now, which is probably a good thing since they wanted $58(think it was in $s). Anyway, that way you could do the Halloween one through October, then your 48 days ones could kick in shortly after. You'd pretty much have the full 3 months from October through December covered then.

Can't believe I'm thinking about this at nearly 1am...

Posy · 04-01-2015 3:33am

Wedgewood do lovely Advent Calendars, but they are a little pricey for only a month long.

8aNvknQ.jpg?1

tombrown · 11-01-2015 12:57pm

Took all the lights in the garden down yesterday (they had been switched off since 6th, but couldn't get to climb all the trees until the weekend). Thats the final nail in this Christmas - roll on Dec 1st next year when I will be trying to remember how they went up

Loughc · 11-01-2015 1:29pm

tombrown wrote: »

Took all the lights in the garden down yesterday (they had been switched off since 6th, but couldn't get to climb all the trees until the weekend). Thats the final nail in this Christmas - roll on Dec 1st next year when I will be trying to remember how they went up

Handy tip for you for this year when you have your lights up record a short video on your phone the way you have them set up so next year when you're putting them up again watch the video and it should help fill in the blanks how you put them up.

micromary · 17-01-2015 2:30pm

Just looking at my posts last January with nostaltia (or however it is spelt!) To be honest I am a lot happier this January and am not suffering any January blues (except for the freezing weather and darkness) Unemployed last January and a good job today.

However I do miss the Christmas carols, decorations & music!

Loughc · 17-01-2015 2:57pm

Delighted to hear that Mary! Congrats on the new job

micromary · 10-11-2015 7:57pm

Here is something that I have decided for next year to help beat my January blues for a while. I booked a trip to Sri Lanka for 2 weeks:D

Loughc · 10-11-2015 9:06pm

micromary wrote: »

Here is something that I have decided for next year to help beat my January blues for a while. I booked a trip to Sri Lanka for 2 weeks:D

And you're bringing all of us? Right?!? Please!!!!

micromary · 12-11-2015 7:27pm

Haha!!! How about I send you all the holiday pics in the sun:P

Mystery Egg · 05-01-2016 2:32pm

Most of us suffer the winter blues to some degree - this January feels lower than any other somehow though, perhaps it's the unceasing rain. And for those of us who truly love Christmas, the emptiness of January feels even worse than for the normies.

So! Ideas to stay positive and cheery. I am short on them, so will need your help.

Let me start us off:

- Staying warm. Warm winter clothes both at home and at work. Cosying up with blankets and candles.

- Comforting, nutritious meals - we need our soups and stews more than ever.

How to beat the January Blues??

Comments