A Sure-Fire January Pick Me Up

January 11, 2024

I have written several articles in the past on this site about how January is "abysmal, depressing, soul sucking" etc. Well, maybe I never said soul sucking - but I felt that way. It's hard to get into January after the holiday stuff - it's like a 180 from the preceding couple of months...I found a way to make it more bearable and thought I'd share.

While we wallow in the deperity of January and its gloom, it's time to look forward. Here are some facts that can help:

Spring is only 2 months (give or take) away
We often have a faux spring in February (a month away)
This is probably the worst month weather wise - start planning the summer now.

Spring starts around the 21st/22nd of March, and those weeks can glide by if you do it right. Start thinking about where you might want to go on a vacation this year - when does the registration window open? For me, it opens up in mid January as I like to go somewhere for my birthday in mid July. The research can be pleasant - when viewing different photos of destinations in their full, summer glory.

If you are a working person with accrued vacation time, start a spreadsheet if you haven't already. I have always done this - I have a spreadsheet with all of my "Pay period end" dates, and I do a simple formula to show my available time, based on the accrual rate per pay period. It isn't rocket science; it's pretty easy. I can go in and choose what I want to do, and see how much time I'll need or have. That is always an uplifting experience.

Do something like organize your family pictures. I started this with a bunch of old, OLD albums from the 70s and older. In this age, its all about digital pictures - but organizing them so you can view and share is fun - and it'll give you a boost. I shared mine in a Google photos album that I can set up sharing for friends and family members. It's brought about a lot of positive reactions and I've gotten help on the "who's who" in some of those older pictures.

Doing a bit of decluttering and cleanup around the house is always a lift for me. It is a pain, initially, but it is very cleansing when you can drag a couple of boxes away to donate and you have found more space in your closet and your home in general.

Once you do a few of these activities, guess what? POOF. January is over. Or mostly...or another day...

Give it a try - it does a lot for me!