The dreaded month of January

As we spend the afternoon packing away Christmas for another year (why does it always take so much less time to take down than to put up), I do wonder why many of us struggle with January and it seems even more so with menopause. Is it because of the lack of daylight, waking up in the dark, getting home in the dark, the rain, the wind, the cold etc. I suppose I could go on. Is it because many of us are skint after Christmas, feeling weighed down with extra weight, suffering the worse hangover ever after too much drink. Or maybe these ones are just me 😂. Little life hack with the Christmas lights, wrap them around tubes of cardboard, like the wrapping paper ones or make triangular prisms out of cardboard boxes and then wind the lights around them. 

It is really interesting that January is for many people a really difficult month. We literally have about half as much sunlight in January as in June (though December has less than January). But I think it is OK in December because we have so many beautiful Christmas lights to cheer us up. It just doesn’t quite seem as dark. That is one of the reasons my lights are on till the 5th January. None of this taking them down early, rubbish lets make the most of it. 

For me personally, I really struggle with my mental health because it is so much harder to exercise in these winter months. I run twice during the week and it is always dark, mostly wet, sometimes windy and it seems at the moment getting colder. I walk Teddy every day in the evening and it is just so depressing in the dark, wet, windy and cold evenings. I love walking Teddy but it is so dull when it is so dark. I don’t have much choice in this and I do get out and do it, but some evenings when I get back and I am so wet and cold, I do question my sanity. But I know if I don’t get out I would put on the pounds I have worked so hard to get rid off (and yes it is a continual struggle with weight, I am not one of those lucky people who can eat what they like, I can but I can feel it in my waistline). In addition, if I don’t get out I would probably kill someone, mostly likely Adam, my hubby. That is one of the impacts of menopause, the anger and emotions become so overwhelming. Exercise helps keep those demons at bay. I am really conscious of that and so make myself get out there, even when I would rather curl up with a warm hot chocolate. I tell you what my Velvetiser  is both amazing and terrible at the same time. It is so easy to make a beautiful hot chocolate, I would say too easy.

I wonder what we could do to help ourselves during this time. Maybe giving ourselves this time to have a well earned rest. I know that seems strange at the beginning of the year, but maybe after all the mayhem of Christmas that is just what we need. To give our selves a break and say, you know what let January just be a chill month. Chill January. Not a dry one cause it is way to long, not a I am going to kill myself with New Year’s resolutions one,  but a chill one. One where we can basically give ourselves time to recap, review, take stock. One where we can read a good book, binge watch a show, take up knitting (yes I have, though I am not very good), have the odd glass of wine (ok maybe bottle), get out when we can, but one were we tell ourselves that it is OK to take a breath and do nothing. 

Saying all of that today is one of those lovely January days which is beautifully sunny and a little cold. Having the sun on your face seems a distant memory, but one that comes rushing back when the rays touch your skin. It reminds us of what is to come, that it won’t be long until January will be a distant memory and we wondered what all the fuss was about. So when you get one of those days, make sure you get out, breath in the air, let the sun hit your face, though make sure you wrap up warm. I remember many years ago when Adam got his first car through work it was a little Lotus Elise and on the first sunny day in January we went out in it with the roof down. We wrapped up warm, of course, but it was so exhilarating and slightly naughty cause it seemed so silly to do, but we loved it. So my message today is look after yourself, take those rare moments in January when the sun shines and do something exhilarating to remind yourself that you are alive. 

I just want to end with the words of Billy Connelly during these months of storms, rain, and wind. 

“There is no such thing as bad weather, simply bad cloth choices”

So stay warm and take time for yourself.

Thanks

Lois