Working as a Joyologist, you probably won’t be surprised to learn that right now is my busiest time of the year.
It seems that the calendar ticks to the 1st of the 1st and the lenses in our specs turn grey grey grey, and we resign ourselves to being a bit miserable until the spring bulbs and baby lambs emerge.
But in my opinion, the beginning of the year gets a bad rep and I’m here to switch up the narrative and tell 'Blue Monday' to roll itself in glitter and shove itself firmly up its very own jumper and invite us to gobble up some January joy.
Why are we sad in January?
I have to start by saying that there are some very real reasons we may feel a little down right now; the never-ending month until payday, the 6am icy horizontal rain, the sluggish overindulged feeling... our blues can be very real. But firstly, don’t punish yourself too harshly if you are feeling like burying your head in the nearest box set until it’s all over.
What if, however, there was a way to ride the beginning of the year like the beautiful cosy, winter woolly wave that it is? Grab a hot chocolate whilst I snuggle you up in my big warm blanket of joy with some tips to help you give winter a cheeky wink and welcome it in like an old friend.
How to make January joyful
1. Prepare for the best
Firstly, the season doesn’t have to take us by surprise. If we know we usually feel miserable during the upcoming months, we can preempt it.
Get prepared and make a little plan. Can you schedule in extra January work-from-home days? Can you invest in some Scandinavian hygge vibe fleecey throws and twinkly lighting for your home? Can you eat for the season and fill your body with rich, hearty food?
READ: What to eat to feel happier this winter according to a nutritionist
Can you ensure you're wrapped up cosy when you go out? As my little Nan used to say (when I wore leopard print high heels on a night out and moaned that it was snowing) “Darling, there is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes.”
2. Ignore resolutions
Secondly, resolutions? Not for me! I don’t set them. Instead, I imagine how I would like the year to feel. Right now, I am opting for that fresh school book feeling. Like the first day of term with new pens and a fresh clean perspective.
January feels like starting a new chapter and giving life a reset. With my favourite guilty pleasure songs playing, I take the decorations down, clean my home, write important dates on my new calendar and feel thankful that the winter has gifted me time to hunker down and do the things that can set me up for the rest of the year.
3. Tap into wonder
Lastly, and my favourite thing to do, is to access my sense of wonderment.
We know that even though the ground is hard, bright daffodils are tightly scrunched up in their bulbs ready to grow. We know that the trees will once again sprout new buds and animals are cosied up in their little burrows eking out their stored-up food.
Walk outside in the morning, take a breath and drink in the moment. If we marvel at the way the seasons work and see the bare trees through fresh eyes, we will grow to love the cyclical way nature happens before our very eyes.
We may also see that our own downtime is to be expected. Our bodies and minds need to rest and recoup too. We can see our own part in nature and put food out for the little birds with love and care. We can start to appreciate the warmth of our homes and the food in our fridges.
DISCOVER: Have you got a winter mindset? Here's how it's impacting your mood
I will leave you with a nod to gratitude. To really appreciate the deliciousness of life, we need both light and shade, cold and warmth, winter and summer.
Without the hard winter mornings, how could we ever know the beauty of the first flourish of spring? Without those moments of feeling a little ‘meh’, how can we truly appreciate the excited, giggly, wonderful glitter flinging joy moments that life gives us too?
The good stuff really is all around us. Maybe it’s time we checked the colour of the lens in our glasses.
Read more from Donna here and learn how to be happier with our HELLO! Happiness Hub