It’s January, and all the fun of the holidays is officially over. Christmas and the New Year are long gone, and all the magic and sparkle has been replaced by cold dreariness. In fact, it’s incredibly common for people to experience the January Blues; the lack of sunlight, cold and wet weather, and a post-holiday letdown combine for a depressing time of year… literally. And that’s why it’s the most important time of year to prioritize self-care and give yourself a little extra love each day.
Whether you’re feeling less motivation or just a little more sad, the January Blues can be brutal. According to Henry Ford Health, symptoms can include “a lack of energy or motivation, moodiness, cravings for comfort foods, a desire to sleep more and a temptation to hibernate at home.” So how does self-care come into play? By spending some time on yourself, you can help improve your mood, and feel a little happier, a little more energetic.
READ: Bring Hygge Into Your Home and Make the New Year Cozy and Warm
Embrace the natural light
One of the biggest issues with the January Blues is the lack of light. Short, dark days can have a major effect on your mood; it literally affects your serotonin and melatonin levels. So making some time to get outside each day, soaking in the sunlight — what little there is, anyway! — is a great form of self-care to lift your mood.
Sometimes it’s hard to get outside, sure. But even just sitting next to a window and being near the light can make a difference. And inside your house, embrace the natural light as much as you can. Open the curtains wide, and keep your home looking as airy and sunny as possible.
Get your blood pumping
For some people, exercise is already a form of self-care they excel at. For everyone else (like, uh, me) it’s much harder. But you don’t have to jump right into running marathons to engage in a little exercise, and it doesn’t have to be strenuous. Pro tip? If you’re dreading it, it’s not self-care, and you probably won’t stick with it. Don’t think of it as a way of working out, either. This is just about moving your body, feeling your body, and embracing the skin you live in.
Take a five minute walk in the morning, or stretch when you get out of bed. Do some calming yoga to help yourself feel centered. Just get your body moving so you aren’t spending the day completely stationary.
Embrace meditation
If you’re anything like me, meditation is not easy. I can’t turn my brain off, especially not when it’s conditioned to always be on. I’m always needed, I’m always stressing about what has to get done next, and it’s hard to just sit still and be with myself. But it’s a great form of self-care that I’m slowly embracing.
Start with just five minutes — heck, even two minutes is better than none! Whatever makes you feel rested and happy, that’s your magic number. You can try a guided meditation, or just sit on your own. Sit somewhere that is calm and quiet, and just notice your own body. Pay attention to your breathing, and try to focus on that. If your mind wanders, that’s ok; just acknowledge the thought, send it away, and return to focusing on your breathing. When you’re ready, end your meditation session with kindness to yourself. Don’t beat yourself up for a wandering mind, for example. Just pay attention to how you, and your body, feels now, and embrace it.
Let yourself be pampered
I know I’m not the only mom that feels slightly guilty whenever I do something for myself. I don’t think there’s anything I love more than a spa day, and part of me knows how much I deserve it. But then, I can’t help but thinking about my family back at the house without me, or stress about the cost. But you know what? Pampering is what people usually think of when they think “self-care” for a reason. It’s a good thing!
Now, that doesn’t mean you have to run out and have a spa day. (Or hey, if you can, do it!) But take some time to pamper yourself. Take a hot, luxurious bubble bath one night. Buy yourself a gorgeous bouquet of flowers while you’re grocery shopping, and put them somewhere you can see it each day. If you’ve got a few free hours, take a nap. Give yourself a facial. Whatever makes you feel pampered, do it.
Get social
It’s so hard to make time for anything other than family when you’re a mom, but loneliness is a real issue that can lead to the January Blues, and it is especially hard for moms. And winter, more than ever, is the time when everyone wants to hole up in their houses and never leave. But that’s why it’s a huge part of self-care to remain connected to the people you care about.
Maybe that time you spend walking each morning, you invite a friend to come with you. Arrange a lunch date once a week with your bestie. Join a new book club at your local library, and make some new friends. Just get out there and feed the part of you that is starving for connection.
It’s really easy to let the January Blues get you down. It’s cold, the weather is ugly and gray, the magic of the holidays is gone, and everything feels dark and dismal. But a little extra you time can be the antidote to the sadness so many of us struggle with at the start of the year.
What is your favorite form of self-care?
