Beat The January Blues

13th January 2023

Ease the January blues with tips on self care and support services from the Trust

January can be tough. The festive season is over, the decorations down. Friends and family, who you only see during the holidays, are back in their own homes. Your next holiday seems months away. Spring isn’t due for another couple of months, and the days are short, cold with the default weather rain.

If you can identify with these feelings of low mood, sadness, lack of motivation, tiredness and low energy you could have the January Blues.

The January Blues are different to SAD (Seasonal Affected Disorder) which is a physical reaction to less daylight hours peaking in January, in that it is situational and tends to ease as we enter the Spring.

What can you do to help beat the January blues

There are things you can do to ease the January Blues and the first is understanding that it is completely normal, and many people feel the same way. It’s a good idea to get as much daylight as you can which will in turn help you sleep better. Natural light increases levels of serotonin in the brain which is associated with improved mood.

Try to focus on self-care, including taking regular exercise, getting enough sleep, and eating well. This will in turn improve your self-esteem which affects your mood.

Having contact with others can really help you feel less isolated during this time.

How the Trust can help

The Trust offers opportunities to connect with other beneficiaries through online ‘coffee breaks’, allowing you to meet and chat informally online several times a month. You can find details of the 'coffee breaks' on our calendar.

In 2023 we are introducing in person local coffee events, run by beneficiary volunteers. These are small, sociable and informal get-togethers of beneficiaries in a local area, which may be held at a garden centre café, friendly pub or similar location. They will be taking place throughout the year so if you would like to get involved, or run one yourself, please get in touch with Annabelle at the Trust, and we can let you know more information. The first events are taking place in January.

You can contact Annabelle by email or on 01480 474074.

If you would like to speak with a beneficiary volunteer on a 1-2-1 basis then our Talk Together service might be for you. This involves a weekly call with a trained beneficiary volunteer. Please get in touch for more information and to get connected.

The Trust also offers the Lift Up service, aimed tackling low mood through structured behaviour activation.