14 January 2016
A Jump Start for January
Some not-so-original ideas to beat the January blues
By Serena Sinclair
This time of year in the UK is, for many people, their least favourite. During November and December there is at least the anticipation of Christmas and the New Year, even if the weather is miserable. In January, all the excitement is over and spring seems a long way off. This year we have had so few crisp, clear mornings, and in some places the daffodils are already out so that spring seems temptingly close, but the weather is mostly awful and the regular downpours we seem to have been having leave everywhere in the countryside muddy and wet, even if one is lucky enough not to live somewhere which has been totally flooded. Towns and cities are not quite so bad in the rain, but as a friend of mine said on her Facebook page the other day “I think I’ve had enough of this winter malarkey”. Here are a few suggestions which might brighten this rather dismal month.
1) With finances a bit battered by the recent festivities, why not have a look at the holiday sales? Even if an immediate getaway is out of the question, you can hold on to the dream for later in the year as you slog to work in the pouring rain.
2) Never mind ‘Dry January’; as it’s not, I am with those who feel that if there is any time when a drink is most needed it is now. Look out those half bottles of Courvoisier left over from the brandy butter making and those half-consumed bottles of Baileys which your mother-in-law didn’t actually finish, and reward yourself with a comforting glass at the end of a long day.
3) Find a really good book to read on the bus or the tube to work. You could either pick something with a great plot e.g. Atonement by Ian McEwan, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, or you could find something which makes you feel grateful that you live in the UK at this present point in time e.g. The Narrow Road to the Far North by Richard Flanagan, Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick or even Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks.
4) For those of you whose interests tend towards the sedentary but do not get the chance to read on the way to or from work, consider buying a good reading light for home. ‘Serious Readers’ do an excellent range, although they are not cheap.
5) Forget the gym membership (you know you’ll never keep up going) but find some activity that you would really like to get into. It might be sporting (you can go kite surfing at any time of year) or it might be sedentary, but if the latter it would probably be best if it is productive, e.g learning how to paint/ draw/ do furniture restoration.
6) For those of you into technology (from which you will gather that does not include me) buy a ‘Fitbit’. These are pretty impressive (and stylish as the website will tell you) bits of kit which can tell you pretty much everything about your daily activities, from how you slept to how many steps you took throughout the day. What you do with so much data is of course up to you, but if you feel it might help you achieve that extra level of fitness then it could be worth splashing out. Prices start from £49.99.
7) If you feel energy levels are a bit low, perhaps think about a slight change of diet. It is surprising how different foods can make you feel so much more energetic.
8) If you have a camera, take it with you when you go out. If you don’t, think of using your mobile phone camera, not just to take idiotic pictures of your friends or your kids doing silly things, but use it to take a picture of that amazing sunset/sunrise, that tree silhouetted against the winter sky, your dog racing round the park or indeed of anything that will remind you how good life can be.
9) Don’t be tempted to throw on some boring ‘cover-all’ clothes in dull colours, just because it is winter. Wear something bright, even if it is just a scarf. Pick up the bright red umbrella, not the black one. Not only will it make you feel better as well as those around you, but it may even give someone else that photo opportunity they have been waiting for.
10) Add some flowers to the supermarket trolley – and smile!
