How to beat January depression

January is a graft, isn’t it? You’re skint after Christmas, the fun nights out with your friends are officially replaced with ‘Netflix and cry’ on your own and – if you’re anything like me – you’ll be desperately trying to stick to some sort of horrendous January diet, which is no doubt bringing you down! But January depression is a real thing, and whilst it doesn’t usually last, (if it does, go to your doctor or talk to someone about it properly) it can feel pretty shit at the time. So, to help you beat the January blues, here are some of our tried and tested tips.

Make plans to help beat January depression

Generally, December is full of events, nights out and things to look forward to – so your calender can often feel a little bleak once January rolls around. But there’s nothing like having something to look forward to to help to put a smile back on your face. Whether it’s a summer holiday or fun-filled festival season, a career or personal goal you can work towards or simply a few days out with your loved one – having some plans in motion, no matter how small, can do wonders to boost your January morale!

Exercise to release endorphins

As the forever-iconic Elle Woods famously said: “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people don’t kill their husbands. They just don’t.” So, to help you take on Blue Monday with a smile on your face, get that ass moving! Hit the gym, take a long walk (yes, it’s cold but trust me, that fresh air will do you the world of good) or sign up to something physical that you’ve never tried before.

And if you really can’t face the idea of exercising in this weather, or all of those January gym-goers are making you consider cancelling your membership, you could always just have sex to keep fit! That’s right, we totally recommend getting that heart-rate up from the comfort of your own bed – you are welcome!

Declutter your life

You know that feeling when you finally take the Christmas Decoration down and the house feels fresh AF again? Well you need to apply the same principal to every aspect of your life to shake that January depression! Focus your attention on getting rid of all the unnecessary items that have been cluttering up your life. Whether it’s donating those clothes you never wear to charity, selling stuff you don’t need on eBay or simply unsubscribing from those annoying email subscriptions; decluttering is not only practical, and might earn you a few pennies on the side, it also helps to clear your mind and leave you feeling refreshed and ready to take on the new year.

Don’t beat yourself up

Last but not least; whilst we’re all for setting goals and trying to live our best lives in 2019 – don’t beat yourself up if you don’t quite smash life as hard as you wanted to this month. Just because you fell off the diet wagon head-first into one of Liverpool’s many pizza restaurants, or missed a deadline you set yourself, or didn’t quite get round to doing that thing you were really excited about – it’s not the end of the world. You still have another 11 months of 2019 to do all of things you want to do – so, dust yourself off, and get back on the horse! You’re doing great!