Feeling the (January) Blues?

Today, the third Monday in January, is commonly referred to as “Blue Monday”, supposedly the most depressing day of the year. Now the evidence to back this up is lacking and it is true that the origin of the term is the result of savvy marketing agencies. Despite this however I have found personally and in conversation with others that January in the Northern Hemisphere can sometimes feel like a month where we are trudging slowly through mud waiting for brighter days.

Last week, I definitely noticed some flashes of spring emerging; birds singing, buds sprouting and even the odd daffodil was spotted. But then the grey, dull and cold weather of the weekend can bring us back to square one.

I was reminded of the Zen Fable of the master and student. In brief the student comes to the master very upset that his meditation practice is not going well and the master simply responds: ‘It will pass’. A few weeks later, the same student returns in good form as his practice is great and the master responds ‘it will pass’. 

Mindfulness allows us to come into this present moment and deal with the tough times with knowledge that this too shall pass. We come to terms with the impermanence of our emotions, the good ones we grasp tightly onto and the difficult ones that we try to push away.  

A couple of pointers if you are struggling with ‘January blues’:

• It is ok and normal to feel sad, drained, lonely, upset or isolated at times
• Our emotions are not permanent: This too will pass
• Be kind and compassionate to yourself: it is difficult to struggle, think what you would say to a friend in the same situation
• Find some way to find a glimmer of positive emotions in everyday, a gratitude practice can be so helpful for this. Click here to obtain our free gratitude journal.
• Get outdoors everyday. Fresh air is so beneficial for our mental health and it only takes 20 minutes a day to make a difference to overall vitality.

And as a final thought, I love this quote by Rebecca Raiden

‘The plants and earth are resting. Maybe you should too. The long days will be here soon enough.’