The January Blues

The January Blues - a feeling of depression or deep unhappiness associated with experiencing the cold and darkness of winter.

The blues are a common form of temporary sadness, (or even just feeling a bit down) that settles in after an occasion or big event. In this case, the January blues tend to settle in after the holidays. You may feel sad because you won’t see your family again for a while. You may have put on holiday weight or failed to meet the goals you set for the holiday season. In addition, the weather in January for millions of Americans is cold, rainy, or snowy. There are fewer daylight hours, and many people have to return to work after a long break during the holiday season. Others may feel saddened by bills from holiday shopping coming due or may feel stress about the long, colder, months ahead.

It pretty much feels like a case of the Mondays—for 31 days straight.

But a few years ago, I had a realization: Like it or not, January is one twelfth of my year and I should probably figure out how to cope with the blues.

Coping with the January blues can be challenging. You may need to change your habits or adopt new lifestyle changes. Lifestyle changes may include:

Practicing self-care – Exercise, meditate, adopt a healthier diet

Get outdoors – Exposure to daylight is good for us, and we often become depressed in darker months due to our limited sunlight exposure

Avoid Unrealistic New Year's resolutions – To many people set resolutions that are often difficult or unattainable that causes a feeling of failure that leads to sadness.