Holy mackerel, January sucks ass.

If this is your birthday month, you might feel differently, but for the rest of us plebs? Let’s call it like it is: post-holiday and New Year gloom is hitting. Hard. We’ve officially entered the worst months of the year—yes, February included. Let’s not kid ourselves that Valentine’s Day will do anything to lift the mood. Winter’s here, and the blues? It doesn’t give a fuck if we’re single, coupled, or somewhere in between. It’s coming, if not, already gotten us.

Exhale long breath out. 

From one SAD girlie to another, here’s what we’re going to do, bestie. 

1. No.1 Give Yourself Permission to Take Things Slow
2. No.2 Remember: How You’re Feeling Is Temporary
3. No.3 Add Movement to Your Routine
4. No.4 Keep Your Good Routines

No.1 Give Yourself Permission to Take Things Slow

As dreadful as it is, winter is meant to be a time for deep rest, recovery, and reset. It’s kind of masochistic that we keep up the same pace all year round. I get it—capitalism demands our sacrifice—but you don’t have to live by the “work hard, play hard, sleep when you’re dead” mentality 24/7. Especially when your body and mind are screaming that something feels astray.

So, give yourself permission to take these months at your own pace, guilt-free. Yes, easier said than done. That annoying, nagging voice in your head will whine like the little cunt that it is. But here’s the truth: it doesn’t define you, unless you let it. It doesn’t say anything or mean anything about you. You hear me?

You’re not lazy. You’re not useless. You’re not a failure for needing or wanting rest. Knowing what you need is a strength, and trusting yourself enough to give it to yourself? That’s brave as hell.

Take things slow, do things imperfectly. Life’s a marathon, not a sprint. Rest now so you can run later, my self-critical, perfectionistic, productivity-maximalist go-getter.

No.2 Remember: How You’re Feeling Is Temporary

I know the feeling well. Sometimes, it’s a full blast of numbness, like I’m submerged under water where all my senses are dull except for the sobering coldness of how sad, empty, and desperate I feel. Other times, it’s a more subdued feeling, like an ache or inkling of knowing nothing is wrong, but something isn’t right either. It’s hard to believe I’d ever feel differently when I’m in the thick of it, because the future feels so colourless that tomorrow is pointless. 

But HEY. That feeling doesn’t last forever. It really, truly doesn’t. Take it from someone who’s been tracking her mood for three years: it will pass. The bad news is that it will come back. But the good news is that we will know how to handle it better each time.

Trust that it’s temporary, bestie.

No.3 Add Movement to Your Routine

Noooooo, don’t roll your eyes. I know you’ve heard it before, and yeah, it’s a cliché, but clichés exist for a reason. Moving your body works. It gets you out of your head and shifts your energy.

It doesn’t have to be anything major. Take a walk. Stretch for five minutes. Do a single pushup. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t have to be Instagram-worthy. Just move, yeah?

Pssst. You don’t need a gym membership. Dancing to one Taylor Swift song counts. No one’s watching.

No.4 Keep Your Good Routines

You don’t have to tell me twice that when the bad vibes hit it’s like trudging through mud. I know. Everything that was exciting is not only suddenly a bore, it’s also a chore. But let’s not forget advice no.2, the feeling is temporary. 
Show up for your routines, even when you don’t want to. And if you really can’t? That’s okay too. Circle back to step no.1. Take things slow and do them imperfectly. 

Examples?

• Fold five pieces of laundry.
• Organize one drawer.
• Take out a small bag of trash.
• Wipe down a single surface.
• Read one paragraph of a book.
• Write down one task for tomorrow.
• Write for ten minutes on that novel you’ve been putting off.

Bing Bop Boom Boom Boom Bop BAM. Easy peasy, bestie 😉

When you finally get to the other end of this gloomy tunnel and when that first sliver of light shine through? you’ll look back and wonder, How the hell did I make it through that?

But here’s the thing: you did. We did.
And you’ll know you can do it again.
And that? That’s a fucking power move.

We got this!
Kate LSY