Overcoming the January Blues

The new year mourn is upon us. A heavy fog of regrets from the year before hangs over. The colour from the previous festivities erases into monotonous grey. The magic has disappeared. Reality sets. What ifs and should haves carousel around our minds. A time for rest and rejuvenation from the previous year but life will not allow it, life will not stop. Exhaustion sets.

We're told to have a happy new year and yet there's a reason why the infamous blue Monday is designated to January (despite being based on pseudoscience). When the sun is drained of its power and loses its fight to darkness, we too lack in strength allowing the shorter, darker, dreary days of Winter to cast a spell to stagnate and fatigue us.

So, what can we do to make it through this one-twelfth of the year?

It's no myth that healthy eating improves mood. No need to change your entire diet but sprinkling in some lean proteins like salmon or fatty acids like walnuts, which are both filled with amino acids and omega-3, may help lift your spirits and help energize you.

As for the lack of vitamin D during the Winter, which has been connected to depression, social withdrawal and fatigue, eating foods rich in it like egg yolks, milk and mushrooms can help brighten you up.

Dark chocolate, bananas and berries have also been shown to improve mood.

Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries can help reduce cortisol, known as the stress hormone.

Bananas contain tryptophan and magnesium which are chemicals that can help calm and relax you, helping you sleep better and reduce anxiety.

Foods like lentils, sunflower seeds, oranges, leafy greens and more are high in folic acids which research has found our bodies use to turn into serotonin, a chemical the body produces that can help perk up your mood.

Fly over to sunnier climates where you can get that vitamin D you're lacking under the winter sky and away from the cold.

Of course, not everyone has the finances to board a plane destined for the tropics.

A simple weekend road trip, a sleepover at a friend's house or attending a local community event can do the trick. Spend no money whatsoever and stroll around your local park, feel the wind caress your hair and rejuvenate you.

Find something to look forward to.

Bundle yourself up in a cosy jumper, fuzzy socks and snuggly blankets with a mug of hot chocolate or peppermint mocha warming your palms. Organise a movie marathon, a day dedicated to reading a good book, completing one of those 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles or farming crops in Stardew Valley.

If there's an ice rink near you, become an ice princess (or fall to your bottom) and skid across that ice in your skates or you can spend a day at a park or go snow sledging if the beautiful snow has fallen and set.

Enjoy the bliss of solitude or invite some friends over to join you.

Talk to someone. A professional. A friend. A person you trust.

Ask them to understand and state your boundaries with them: whether or not you want them to ask questions, offer solutions or just listen. You can even contact the student support team at the university who are here to help.

Release all you've caged up in your mind. Let it all out in the open. It'll bring you ease and help you come to conclusions and solutions about all you're feeling. As the saying goes, a weight off your shoulder.

Focus on the now. You did what you did, and you'll go where you’ll go. You can't modify the past and you can't predict the future so keep your eyes on the present and just do.

If you don't like who you were yesterday then centre today on what you can do to improve. Find peace with your shortcomings and celebrate your wins. Identify the choices you've made and evaluate the patterns in your life, the lessons that you learnt and apply that to the present.

For more top tips on taking care of your mental well-being, take a listen to the University of Bedfordshire’s official podcast, Bits of Beds