How to make January more bearable?

[chippytea33]

Just looking for tips really to make January feel a bit easier. We've had a good Christmas but I've massively over indulged in food and booze. I've enjoyed having some downtime but also preparing to get back into the routine of work and school etc as I've lost all sense of space and time at the moment.

Planning on doing dry January which is a big deal for me as usually drink 5 nights of the week roughly. Also want to clear my diet up a bit without 'dieting' as such as I don't want to introduce too many unsustainable challenges all at once!

It's a long month, still cold and dark, we will be skint. Part of me just wants to hibernate, the other half thinks I need to keep myself occupied so I'm not tempted by wine or the contents of the fridge!

I've got a big pile of books to read and could maybe start a new series. What's everyone else going to be doing?

Sorting out finances and looking at house buying (even though the thought of it stresses me out). I am starting a new job and have a qualification exam to do. I actively dislike January and find it an incredibly long month (although that could be because I am always poor because of Christmas etc)

I always think January is a rubbish time to go dry! Especially if you drink 5 nights a week. I'd look to cut down and just get into a routine of early bed with your books.

This time of year can feel miserable with the cold dark evenings, so just do what you can to make life feel a bit more comfortable. Do dry april instead when the evenings get lighter and your dopamine levels naturally rise from the joys of spring 😀

lol this is an interesting approach 😂

I think it will be tough but equally I've overdone it over Christmas and feel like a reset is in order. I'm not confident I'll manage a totally dry January but if I can massively cut back it will be good.

As much as I love Christmas, I am glad it’s over.
Decorations down, clean and tidy house.
i look forward to the New Year. Spring coming etc. I always have. So I never have an issue with January. I anticipate the longer days and warmer weather that comes. With children, the lead up to Xmas in December is mental
and too much. I enjoy the peace of January.

I'm training for a marathon so squeezing in lots of running, and I've booked a holiday (Caribbean) for mid Jan - last year I was overweight and quite depressed so made a pact with myself to turn things around.

I’m considering doing a bit of batch cooking this week so I have some healthy soup, stew etc in the freezer to help with the shock of going back to work.

This is very much how I feel at the moment. Fat and unhealthy. Not just because of Christmas, I've been getting into bad habits over the course of the year and probably before.

Can I ask how you managed to turn things around for yourself?

Don't forget daily exercise and fresh air is massively good for improving mental health.
If weather is really awful, I put on a dance video and skip round the lounge !

I'm going to do dry Jan too but I'm not telling people, so if I decide I want to drink at a social event on the 18th or if I fancy a glass of wine at some point, I won't feel like I've failed.

I'm also doing the January declutter. Get rid of one thing on day 1, two on day 2, etc..

And eat more healthily.

Invest in decent candles, blankets and jumpers. Embrace cosy living and make a commitment to go outside for a walk every day, it can be long or short but will help.

My main aim is to sort my house. It feels disorganised, stuffed to the brim and generally in every room something needs sorting/mending/make over etc. Agreed you have to have the time and money to do it, but I'm just trying to find storage, solutions, clear out, reorganise, sell,donate etc...
Every drawer and cupboard seems to need something in order to "move it on"....my cutlery drawer needs all the knives and utensils out, so I need jars etc to put those in so I can move on in that drawer.....I need an item and an area to get all my hair shampoos,conditioners etc into so I can clear out the bathroom....and so it goes on, you get my vibe.

I stopped years ago making "big" plans...diets,exercise etc as I never stuck to them and just made me feel like shit! As for "getting through it" my husband suffers with S.A.D and he was given the best idea by a Dr that it's best to "embrace it". The animals hibernate, slow down, accept the season and we must too. Accept that the trees die away, the world is still etc

I’m trying to encourage myself to not be too sedentary indoors and to use as much of the dark evenings at home to do something useful and gently exercising like decluttering that I will really appreciate later.

I really love the re-set of January. We’re verging on exhaustion at this stage, having partied and socialised all of December. We have 2 more lunches and one more party to go and then I’m really looking forward to no booze and healthy living.

@chippytea33 we could be kindred spirits! I don't think I've had a wine-less day since November so dry January could be ... interesting!

Deep clean of the house, de-clutter. Decorations away and fresh white flowers and eucalyptus or fresh pine scented candles around the house. Lots of fresh air, exercise and healthy salads, stews and soups.

I don't usually make New Year's resolutions but this year I'm promising myself it'll be the year of walking. I've made time for a few long walks over Christmas and without fail I've come back from them feeling energised, clear headed and more positive than before the walk. I struggle with January generally so am planning to nourish myself with good quality food and fresh air.

Honestly, I just decided that I'd rather do something rather than keep going the way I was, as it was making me miserable.

A year ago I could easily drink a bottle of wine to myself most nights, and then I'd snack. I had awful skin, felt like a blob.

I've lost 3 stone, found new hobbies (running and weights) and I love my meals - lots of veg and protein.

I don't miss the booze or crap food at all.

Being slim and fitter now keeps me motivated to stay this way.

Best of luck - if I can turn things around, anyone can. You probably already know what you need to do - so start now - you deserve to be happier.

Ah OP I could have written this! I never normally do dry January but my body needs it this year after a very indulgent month. I'm not dieting but I am going to try to avoid UPFs as far as possible (a challenge I successfully did this year but fell by the wayside in December!) which in itself keeps me busy as it means I spend a lot more time meal planning, looking for new recipes, baking etc, want to get back to enjoying good food and generally feeling better.

Will also get back to my hobbies which are active and in the evenings so that keeps me busy too. I hibernate on weekend in winter though!

We've got three more events to go to and then I'm hibernati g. I have a house to declutter and deep clean and exams to revise for.

Have some life admin to do as well and a holiday to book. The long cold months are ideal for sorting through the paperwork backlog.

I actually like January, fresh year to start.

I kind of hate this week though with it being in between closing one year and starting the next.

I don’t really drink so dry January isn’t for me … good luck though I think it’s great you are trying it!

I’ve bought some new walking boots and have decided to learn Italian … so that’s what I’ll be doing for the next couple of months.

I do the Walk 1000 miles challenge every year and I love it! It's only 2.74 miles a day (all activities count, eg swimming, housework) and you get a shiny medal 🏅 at the end!

This will be my 5th year doing it.

Sign up is free at:

https://www.walk1000miles.co.uk/

I`ll be coming home in jan from my holiday.
And off again 3rd week of feb to spain back home a week later then off again the end of march to india for 2 weeks then home till jun then off to thailand for 3 weeks.
Im never home.

Thank you for sharing, this is a lovely idea

Everyone hates January.
My birthday is the first week of Jan. It's fuckin awful.

So don't be selfish to your friends or family with early Jan birthdays.

I love January! It’s a time of fresh starts, a whole year to look forward to, everything going back to normal after the stress and chaos of Christmas.

it’s a time of new stationery, new challenges, seed catalogues, big piles of books to enjoy, time to plan activities and trips.