January really is crap

[Nomoreburritosforgodsake]

I’m a positive person and try to make the best out of things, count my blessings etc, but it really is the most depressing month…cold, wet, quiet, no money..just so blah.
I don’t mind staying in, have put fairy lights, candles, pjs and throws..still crap
Think it’s more the money and weather, just getting by, the most excitement being taking the dog for a walk and making lasagna. Dd asking for zoo, cinema, soft play and takeaways..just not happening this month

How to make Jan-well-Jan-March better?!

Does anyone actually prefer these months? I remember a brilliant year pre Dd where we went ski ing and then to Thailand just to escape it, no option for that these days 😅

I love January too for all the same reasons. All the madness, mess,chaos, overeating etc at Christmas is over and it’s a fresh year, fresh start and new page for me. Love cosying up indoors and chilling out after Christmas, seeing the lighter nights come in, and knowing that we’re moving towards spring!

shortest day is long gone and with each passing day it stays a little bit lighter for a little bit longer.

^

True. I was twittering earlier to the kids about how much lighter it was, compared to just six weeks ago

I don’t love it, after the sparkle and bustle of December, but I try and lean in and make the most of it. I have enjoyed the weather this week, bitterly cold and bright. I don’t find it appreciably lighter yet though, but I am in Scotland. I have enough money (not loaded by the way, but enough) to still have a nice standard of living despite wage having to stretch longer. I try and have a few things in the diary, cinema, lunch dates etc to look forward to. My youngest child just has one more year at school after this one so from 2027 we will probably book a holiday as well.

Oh and my TV programmes I enjoy are back - pottery Throwdown, call the midwife, traitors so it’s nice to curl up and watch them with a nice mug of tea

People always tell you to look for the positives. Well I'm very positive about spring, summer and autumn. Winter though, nope. Endless grey skies, no sun, wet, cold, the leafless trees, and above all it's dark in the middle of the afternoon. Often it doesn't seem to get properly light at all. The only thing to be said for January is that the days are getting longer, minute by minute.

I always think the same about February - it's the shortest month but it seems to last the longest.

It depends where you are in the country. North West always seems to take a massive beating with the weather.

where we live, SW, it has been very cold, but beautiful and sunny, crisp and clear for quite a few days over Christmas and through this week and next.

so not too bad. About -4C at night. Hopefully my snowdrops will start to show through soon. Then things will start to come up in the garden - crocuses are the next.

😂

I don't mind January. I find it fresh and calm after the chaos of Christmas. The weather is normally crisp for some nice winter walks and there is the sense of the new year in the air and its potential.

I love January too, for the same reasons, but I’d add that I love Christmas. It’s just that by the end of it I’m bloated and tired. So the fresh start is a real mood booster - I love changing my cooking according to the seasons, treating myself to some new skincare, cluttering, and especially snowdrops. I even enjoy walks and bikes in the filthy weather, and the hot bath and something slow cooked afterwards. It’s a pretty optimistic time for me, with the days starting to get longer and sowing the first seeds indoors for the garden.

I think it's semantics. This thread is about January specifically, not winter.
I too love the long easy days of summer. I really don't like winter at all and find it hard work.

However January as a month has the promise it will be over soon. It's not November where we still have months to drag through. It's a cheap month and it's a chilled month.

I’m choosing to be upbeat ..still recovering from a bad viral infection so have only left the house THREE TIMES IN 17 DAYS and that was for medical/essential appointments 😳

I’m WFH, watching loads of dramas/documentaries and knitting for England 😆

I enjoy the calm of January after Christmas - suddenly there aren't cars and people everywhere. I have noticed that the closer you get to Christmas, the more hectic the school run is. It's so bloody annoying and people drive like maniacs.

People also die in extreme heat though. That's a much bigger danger for many of us.

It's only a few degrees below freezing, get a grip people

Er, how many minus degrees does it have to be before people are allowed to feel cold then?!

Oh it is crazy cold. I'm putting thermal underwear on my dd before she goes off to school as well as everything else and hat, scarf and gloves.

I've been ill since NYE, so that's not helped.

But I've made loads of soup for the freezer to take into work. Got out for dinner last night and the restaurant was packed. It was nice and buzzy and helped, you can hibernate too much.

I think if you are seeing "signs of spring" in January, it is going to be a very long Feb/March. Probably April too.

I don't mind January - there are the "new things" from Xmas to enjoy, e.g. new games to play, books to read, models to build, recipes to make, etc. When I am making xmas lists for the family, keeping busy in January is at the forefront of my mind. I actually like the first part of winter, and really enjoy Nov and Dec.

However, Feb - April is dire. It's normally May by the time it feels like winter is over.

I rather like January. I find it calming after the busyness of Christmas and New Year. I love all the sparkle of December but do enjoy putting all the decorations away. Everything looks clean and organised again, with fresh flowers in a vase on the table and a tidy house.

Someone said at the beginning of this thread that they take the time in January to focus on wellness, sleep and healthy eating after the choc-fest of December. This is what I am doing too. I appreciate it must be very different if you have young children who need entertaining though and need to burn off energy outdoors. And if you have money worries of course, that is extra stress as it seems a long time until payday.

Beautiful blue skies here today. Crisp, frosty and bright. Lovely! Just walked back from the gym through the park and it was gorgeous.

Freezing fog here. Can't even see across the road. It's cold, foggy and depressing.

I don't mind January. It feels like a fresh start, new year and new things to look forward to.

The worst part of the year is late February going into early March. I'm sick of the cold weather by then and we often get snow around that time when I want to be looking forward to spring.

My reading is she’s started it to be able to talk to others who feel the same. She isn’t expecting a yes answer, therefore she’s not wanting an answer at all.

Not possible. Hence I’m miserable.