Anyone else love january?

[imabitjealousandembarassed]

I know it's unpopular but I LOVE the feeling of January. Everything just feels clean and big again. The year spreading ahead. Anyone else love it like me?

Christmas is VERY tacky and completely over-hyped, but surely as adults we can pick and choose which bits we do? I choose dressing up and drinking champagne, buying DP something thoughtful and decorating my apartment. Every other aspect of Christmas (forced time with family, staff party, buying gifts for lots of people, etc.), I opt out of completely. 🤷‍♀️

I agree. I do think however that it can take a while sometimes to get the confidence to say no. I hear so many times of people hosting who do not want to to host, relatives not wanting to offend one another, gifts being bought as they want to give something back and does it look enough etc etc. It can be a lot of pressure, and cause family drama when people do pick and choose. It is extremely satisfying if you do manage to break free! I found in the end that I just had to offend for the sake of my immediate family.

Yes I always wonder what will be different next December as I’m taking the decorations off the tree.

Ditto, days getting lighter, and all the partying over.

I like it. I struggle a bit mentally in the run up to Christmas. We’ve booked a week abroad mid January so I’ve been looking forward to that. I also love the quiet of January and noticing the lighter evenings.

No, I hate it, although February is worse. I love April-June and then September-December. July and August and January, February and most of March are dismal.

Doesn’t that make February feel worse? Cold messes badly with my mental health, but I’m scared to go away because I think I’ll feel worse when I get back because of the contrast.

I don't mind February it usually goes by in a flash ,your wages may last a bit longer and i feel that often we're over the hill of Winter and heading into Spring.

Yes. I like January as it tends to be cold and crisp. We’ve had blue skies and sunshine today and I like walking the dog when it’s like this. I enjoy living more quietly (for a while) - reading in the evenings, earlier nights, going to the pub but not planning loads or feeling I have to do a lot.
I don’t feel a need to do dry January or go on a diet.

No, never had that problem. Winter sun always makes me feel refreshed. And I don’t mind February. Days get longer and it’s usually when we go skiing. Also agree with PP, it seems to go by in a flash.

Ah. There is is. The days get longer. It’s not about day length for me. They could be 5 mins long as long as the temp was in double figures. Everybody wants longer days to be a help. They really aren’t for me.

Yes I am excited for 2026 and January. Started a demanding new job a year ago and 2025 has flown by in a blur of stress.

I am on top of it enough now to say it's going to playing a firm 3rd or 4th fiddle to my beautiful family and home from now on. Oh and trying to put myself first for a change.

I do. I love filling the house with hyacinth and amaryllis bulbs and cyclamen - that feeling of life reawakening. I love the clean pages of new journals and notebooks, the possibilities of the year ahead.

YANBU, I find December stressful and overwhelming and am glad all of the Christmas socialising is over , which is nice but draining to me. I like making plans for the new year and getting into better habits.

By yourselves

Your post just made me realise that I had said to my family that I am not in a position to host this year. And actually 2 different sets stayed before and over Xmas. 😶

I too have always loved January . I rest and recuperate . It’s my alone time I create alone time . Avoid aking to people friends family only necessary. Not that I’m alone I care fr 90 yr old both parents full time , husband , young adult children and work full time . I keep an empty diary . I do not go out unnecessarily . No painting nails , no hairdressers, no facial , no shopping . No gym . No booze .
I love how January is long and slow . I Eat lots , finish all food in the cupboards first no extra food shop only essentials and watch tv .

It’s great cos no one asks you to go anywhere and if they do you have the valid I’m skint or I’m doing dry January excuse 💪

Cheers, earworm firmly lodged.

🤣🤣

For me part of maturing has been learning to love January - my mum is a firm January hater so I learnt it from her.

It sounds SO cliched but I rest, eat healthy foods, recover from the December insanity, enjoy the winter weather, think about what I want to achieve in the year ahead and focus on myself and my family.

(The month I struggle with the most is actually March. Pretend spring, winter in all but name - still fucking freezing but with light mornings and the fucking clock change.)

I think another thing that helps me cope with January is that I don’t view it as new beginnings / clean slate / reset - that tends to be September for me when the kids go back to school. My kitchen calendar is September to August and I really enjoy filling it in during the summer holidays.

I particularly like this January as we don’t go back to work until the 5th, and where I live it is bright and sunny albeit braving cold.

I do like February though when you suddenly realise it’s not dark when you leave work, and the daffs poke through.

I've always thought it was a bit of a rubbish month but reading the comments, I like this perspective! I'm definitely going to take a more positive outlook on January this year