Five Ways To Beat The January Blues

January can be a tough month; the January Blues are a well-documented phenomenon and, after the first few days of glorious optimism at the prospect of being faced with a shiny new year, it's easy to start feeling a little down. Here are five ways to get a handle on your outlook and beat the January Blues once and for all!
• Make a start on your New Year's Resolutions. If you've set yourself some goals to work on this year, it's better to start as soon as you can! Habits form surprisingly quickly, so whether you've promised yourself you're going to drink more water, get more exercise, or go to bed earlier - start now, and by the end of the month you probably won't even notice you're doing it. If you need to break your goals down into manageable chunks then do that - set yourself a mini-goal for January! What better way to get yourself in a positive frame of mind than working towards your goals?! You can have a peek at my goals for 2016 here.
• Make plans. Give yourself something to look forward to! After all the excitement of December and the lead-up to Christmas and then New Year, January can be a bit of a quiet month, leaving you feeling deflated and, let's face it, bored! This is an easy one to overcome - make some plans to meet up with friends, have a good old catch-up and spend some quality time together. Everyone seems to be short of money in January so something like inviting everyone over for a movie night and popcorn would be a great way to spend an evening, and give you something to look forward to.
• Take time for yourself. You're back to work (those of you who were lucky enough to even get time off over Christmas!) and things can seem pretty busy in January, but try to take time out to take care of yourself. Self-care is important! Have twenty minutes when you get in to enjoy a cup of tea and a chapter of your book; run yourself a nice hot bath; do some baking; paint your toenails; call a friend for a good gossip - whatever helps you relax and feel good! If you're struggling for time, here are 25 ways to practice self-care in five minutes (or less!)
• Try to keep active. I know it's cold, dark, wet and frankly all-round miserable, but we all know we feel better when we move more! Even if it's just a ten-minute walk, you'll feel better for some fresh air and exercise, so make an effort to fit a little bit of activity into your days. It's a real battle for me to get up and go for a swim in the morning at the moment, but I always feel better when I manage it.
• Drink more water. After the excesses of December, do your body a favour and keep it hydrated! Drinking plenty of water will help to flush out any toxins that have built up from eating and drinking a little bit too much over the festive period... Keeping hydrated also helps you to feel more alert, which can be a massive help when you're tired and run-down. And that's without mentioning the benefits for your skin, immune system, and weight. Grab yourself a nice water bottle, fill it up, and keep sipping through the day. I got a Bobble bottle for Christmas and it's great for filtering my water as I drink!

Do you have any top tips for making it through January? What helps you to stay positive?

xo
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