How To Enjoy January If You Dread January
January feels like an understanding, supportive friend to me these days. That wasn’t always the case.
For a time, January felt like an urgent, frustrated, albeit supportive sports coach who wanted me to up my game, and fast! To practice with intensity, make huge gains quickly and get on with it. No rest for the weary!!!
I started to dread January. And then I started to feel sad for, and in, January.
It didn’t feel like the right time to do do do, go go go, change change change. I remember thinking, “Hold up. Lots of the animals are resting, the trees and plants are resting…why I am trying to supercharge myself right now?”
“I decided to get into a different relationship with January. Now I look forward to it.”
I welcome January for its darkness. For the outside quiet that supports my own internal quiet. For the slower, more deliberate pace that weather, winter schedules, and holiday residue require as return to my Self after the fast, fun, emotionally intense month that December can be.
I say yes to more rest, stillness (not always comfortable) and moving in a way that my body craves. I invite in a way of being more in harmony with nature.
I delight in the slow down. In honoring my body and seasonal alignment.
AND-on the flip side, there are the real facts about feeling down in the winter months when we have less daylight, many places have less sunshine, and we often have less social connection.
I now live in a place where there is sunshine the majority of the year, even in the winter months, and this has changed my life.
When I lived in Chicago, the sadness descended upon me in October and did not lift until April.
I struggled with my energy, mood, and connectivity.
I learned to do ALL the things to keep myself afloat:
I sat in front of a therapeutic-grade “Happy Light” each morning.
I drank lots of water.
I went outside every day for an hour to get light in my eyes (even though it was dark and gray and cold).
I moved my body every day.
I ate fresh, nourishing foods.
I took Vitamin D supplements.
I slept a good amount and tried to keep a consistent sleep schedule.
I made an extra effort to connect with friends.
I scheduled consistent meetings with my mentor/life coach.
I meditated, danced and sang daily.
For me, the medical grade light box made a huge impact on my mood.
I have listed below several websites that carry SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) supportive lights. I purchased one from Northern Lights and used it every morning starting in October and throughout the winter months.
I’ve listed resources below that discuss what SAD is, what you can do to feel better, and also links to Light Therapy Boxes.
Even if you don’t have full-blown SAD, knowing what to do to support yourself so you can live a vibrant, seasonally rhythmic, satisfying life during the winter months is very important.
How to determine if you have SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) →
Top 5 sunlight lamps (for SAD) in 2023 →
The Northern Lights light therapy that I use (and love) →
(I bought a happy light from this company a few years back when I lived in Chicago. It REALLY helped).
Learning how to feel peaceful and joyful in the darker months has been a lifelong journey for me. I am so grateful I no longer dread January and have learned how to live more in harmony with the seasonal rhythms and the rhythms of my own nature.
About The Author
Martha Arnett is a psychotherapist, psychic, and life coach. She helps people heal what’s in the way, reclaim their confidence and step into their Highest Self— so they can experience more joy and success in every area of life.
