Sunday 5 January 2020

AVOID THE JANUARY BLUES

How di rarse did we get here SO frikkin fast???? 2020? New decade, people! Wowser!

To me, December didn’t feel as festive as it has in previous years; there wasn’t much of a Chrismassy buzz. Did you have that feeling? I didn't see many houses with the usual outdoor decorations, there were few street displays, less of an overload with the seasonal films/music and it was literally done and dusted by midnight on the 25th! Come the 26th of December the Christmas spirit had packed up and left! That said, lol, I hope you had a beautiful time (however you chose to spend it) and I also hope you saw a great start to the new year. I certainly did!
Copyright Charley Jai
Sadly, it’s a well-known fact that many of us feel a bit low once January comes around. This can be for many reasons and it isn’t always easy to adjust our mood. As someone who experienced a major dip in Jan 2013 and 2017, I wanted to share with you what I do (not that there is a one-size-fits-all) to keep myself balanced, as it were, which may be beneficial to you as you navigate your way through this month (the year).

Take the pressure off
A lot of us like to think ahead, which often leads to overthinking about future plans and this can cause the world of stress. We seem to do this mostly as we step into a new year with the idea that we must take immediate action (s) to change certain aspects of our lives. We fret about what we have, don’t have, finances and everything else in between. Not good.

I use the festive season as a time to acknowledge any bad thoughts and feelings I might have. In recent years I haven’t had the need to do this as much, however, I still make a conscious effort to check my energy before new years day. I also throw myself into Christmas (in the right way). Getting caught up (but not lost) in the festive fun leading up to the day itself keeps me in a relatively great mood which continues into the new year.

Just before 1st of January rolls around, I create a playlist of all my go-to feel-good songs on Spotify and I also download the list to my laptop so I can burn it to a CD. This CD then lives in my player for when I need a quick positive boost. I also make sure I have motivation quotes (the majority of which has been written by me) displayed around my home. I read them at least twice a day, sometimes more.

When was the last time you felt super energised, positive, upbeat, optimistic and effortlessly happy? Tap into that and let it be your go-to when you start to feel a shift in your energy/vibe.
Copyright Charley Jai
Don’t follow the crowd
Often what gets a person down is trying to keep up with the latest fashion, events, TV shows, movies, the latest celeb news, social media trends, what friends and family are doing… None of those things requires your attention or valuable time as much as getting your life in order. How about you follow your intuition? How about you follow what you want to do based on what you need to do for yourself? Get yourself ahead without drowning in things that are of no long term or significant benefit to you. Unless key to your progression, do not give it much of your focus. This applies to people too!

Find effective methods for preventing yourself from feeling low. Personally, the practise of daily gratitude and also starting over on social media has worked really well for me. I have filtered out all of the things I was seeing which would sometimes have me feel a bit rubbish.

Make your health a priority
I’ve said this so many times that I’m thinking about buying a jumper with it as a slogan – if something or someone is having a consistent negative impact on you, get rid! Or, at least, keep them at a distance. Your mental, emotional and physical well-being is paramount. Do not allow anybody (blood, or water) nor anything to get in the way of your health. Yes, I know, easier said than done, however, it is SO necessary.

Self-Care Day
Yes, DAY! Plan and set aside one day each week where you will only indulge in things/activities that make you feel amazing. Recharge, rest, reflect, realign.

A day to myself, at least once a week, does me the world of good. For real. It’s all about paying more attention to the important things in life.
Copyright Charley Jai
Pray
I know prayer is not something everybody believes in but, if you do, utilise it. Instead of talking to yourself, talk to God; throw your troubles onto him and he will see you through. If you don't pray, maybe start, or find something that automatically calms your mind and promotes a surge of happiness within you. Tapping into that whenever there's a glitch in your Matrix will help to keep you from experiencing those January blues which can trickle on throughout the year.

Breathe, you’ve got this. 2020 is a whole new vibe. Remember I told you, babe! x

Happy New Year!