During the Christmas period you feel like you are on a high and it all comes crashing back down to earth when you have to return to work. January always feels like the longest month of the year, we are only half way through and it seems to be never-ending. The best way to beat the January blues and keep that positive attitude through to spring is to enhance your mood through different lifestyle changes.
Go to the gym
You may want to curl up on the sofa after a long day at work, but it won’t help get rid of those January blues. Exercise is the best way to improve your mood as it releases happy hormones (serotonin) in your brain and will make you feel more energised after your workout. You don’t necessarily need to be in the gym every day twice a day, but a couple times a week will soon get you feeling much happier.
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Read more: How to find motivation to exercise after work in winter
Buy the right foods
Christmas is a time of self-indulgence, so when the January blues hit people go cold turkey and diet mad. However, it’s important to be mindful with food as skipping breakfast or barely eating will not help you loose weight or help your mood. When you deprive your body of nutrition, it will go into starvation mode and slow down your metabolism causing it to make losing weight more difficult. Increasing your fruit and vegetable intake, along with eating regular meals will ensure you don’t go through the month hungry and unhappy. Try consuming foods rich in Omega 3 and Vitamin D such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, nuts and seeds.
Book a holiday
Instead of feeling down in the dumps with the January blues, why not give yourself something to look forward to? Booking a holiday will boost your mood and make you happy, whilst giving you something to count down to on your calendar. A global study by Booking.com revealed that 70% of those questions found lasting happiness results from travelling rather than material items. The research also found that 50% of people thought holidays were more vital to their happiness than landing a dream job.
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Soak up daylight
It can become quite hard to drag yourself out of bed in the winter as it seems constantly dark and there isn’t much daylight. Lack of daylight can make you feel down and play on your emotions. You should take every opportunity to go outside during the day and soak up the little bit of vitamin D there is.
Adjust your sleep
Christmas can wreak havoc on your sleep with the constant parties, late nights and drinking sessions. This will throw your sleeping pattern out of synch and consequently will darken your mood. Sleep experts advise you get at least eight hours of sleep per night, so try to stick to a sleeping pattern and go to bed the same time every day.
