6 ways to Beat the January Blues

The build-up to Christmas, the party season, and how much we eat during this time of year can cause us all to feel down or miserable once January rolls around. However, don't worry, it's common and you're not alone!

Whether you're skint and waiting for payday, feeling bloated as heck, or generally just down in the dumps now that the excitement of Christmas has worn off - here are some tips to get you feeling great for January.

1. Celebrate how far you've come

You ever hear one of those people who are always down on themselves and how crap their life is? Well, stop being that person! There isn't much point in constantly moaning about how crap life is. Instead, be like the person who chooses to look at how far they've come over how crappy things are now. Maybe you're skint - but how many amazing experiences have you had this year? Maybe you've put on weight, but how much have you grown mentally?!

The point is, how far you've come should outweigh how crap things are now. You've set up a savings account, or maybe even started saving for something specific such as a holiday! You may have lost weight and feel better than you ever did before, you may even have started a new amazing career - how many people can say that?!

Celebrate how far you've come instead of how crap you are now and how much money you haven't got.

 2. Take time for yourself

 Whether this is sitting in a bubble-filled bath, having a Netflix marathon, or just taking some 'you' time - it's important to take time out for yourself. Sure, there might be more important things to do but how can you expect to help others if you're not in tip-top condition? No one wants a grumpy, tired and overworked person on their backs all the time.

If there are things that you regret doing or aren't getting done, set aside some time each day for them by setting yourself goals - block off how many hours you're going to work on these things and then stop yourself from working on anything else when that time has passed. If you say you aren't going to go out because there's too much mess for you to clean, but instead end up staying in - how can anyone expect anything different? Set sometime aside every day (maybe an hour or two) and make sure you've done everything you can before you go back to how things were.

Of course, if there's a reason why your routine has changed - like sickness or something unavoidable - don't beat yourself up about it. A good thing to do when getting back into the swing of how things would be is to make small goals as to how you want your days/weeks to go. For example; how about cleaning the house for an hour each day until it's how it was before?

3. Be kind to yourself

Love yourself! Yes, I am serious - hug yourselves, even if no one else is around. If you don't love yourself, how are you ever going to show how much you love someone else?

Life is short and there's no better time to treat yourself than now! Whether this is giving yourself a little present or getting your hair how you want it - do what makes you happy, not what others expect of you. It doesn't matter how short how long it takes to do whatever makes you happy - if that's getting a new tattoo or simply having an hour of alone time, do it.

I won't lie, I'm not one to sit around and play video games all day but even I treat myself now and again.

 4. Keeping busy

This doesn't mean cleaning the house (unless you love it) or anything like that; keep yourself busy doing things that you love. Whether it's watching your favourite TV show, reading a book, or writing a blog - whatever makes you happy is how you should treat yourself. If there are things that you've neglected because of how busy life got with Xmas and whatnot, make sure to set aside some time for them when you get back into how things were before.

A great way to keep yourself busy is to set goals for how you want your day/days to go. Whether it's writing words, talking with friends, or simply cleaning the house - make sure how you spend your time goes how YOU want it to go.

5. Eat well

I may not be a health freak but I do care about how I look and feel. If you're feeling down, how are you going to be able to feel better unless you take care of yourself? You don't have to go on some crazy diet or workout nonstop but instead, try making sure how you eat is nourishing your body.

It's okay if all you can think of doing is stuffing your face with junk food after how much you ate during the festive period but how are you helping yourself if that's how you continue to live? Take care of how you look and how you feel by making sure how you eat goes how YOU want it to go.

6. Do something nice for someone else

Whether this is simply sending a card or buying someone a present, doing something nice for someone else can really cheer you up.

If you're not sure how to do it, just ask yourself these questions; how would I want someone else to treat ME if I was feeling down? How would I want someone to be nice towards me if they were down? Chances are, how you'd want someone to be is how you should treat them when they're down. Maybe it's doing some shopping for them? Cooking a delicious meal? Or even purchasing them a special item of jewellery such as our bestselling sterling silver duo necklace!

And there you have it! These are how you can beat the January blues. Whether it's how you treat yourself, how you keep yourself busy, or how to eat well - following these steps can help you get feeling great for January!