After holiday celebrations have come and gone and people begin to go back to their daily routines of attending school or going to work, January can seem miserable, long, and uneventful.  The Urban Dictionary defines January Blues as “the funk that one enters after the holiday season is over, spring is a ways off and lasts at least until February 1, sometimes until President’s Day.” While the calendar may say that the month is January, you don’t have to be blue at the start of the New Year. Here are 5 ways to battle the January blues. 

• Exercise is an effective way to stay active and improve your mood. It has been proven that exercise promotes the release of endorphins, which is a chemical that boosts your mood. Endorphins are known as a “natural painkiller”, that can minimize pain/discomfort and provide a sense of euphoria and happiness. And there are so many forms of exercise such as, running, dancing, ice skating, basketball, walking, yoga, and etc. There are so many virtual classes being offered at this time that are free. YouTube has plenty of fitness content to offer from abs to arms to leg workouts and I am barely scratching the surface. 
• Make resolutions that are achievable. A tradition a majority of people participate in when the New Year begins is making a New Years resolution. Resolutions can be a good way of introducing goal making into your life, but making resolutions do have their downsides. People tend to make extreme resolutions that are unrealistic and unattainable, for example losing a large amount of weight in an unreasonable amount of time. If we put so much pressure on ourselves to complete these resolutions and we end up failing, it can lead to low self esteem and sadness. My New Year’s resolution is to relearn a standing back tuck by August 2021.
• Try something new. Experiencing new activities could also lead to you discovering a new hobby. Life is all about learning and discovering who you are, so do that by trying new activities and things. From different cuisines to participating in a new sport. Venturing into new territories can help you to go outside your comfort zone and expand your horizons. I am looking into learning how to knit, what about you? 
• Enjoy the outdoors. January is known as the month has the least amount of sunlight, so try to soak up as much as you can. A short 5 minute walk outside can boost your mood and energy. I get my daily dose of sunlight by walking my dog, Roxie, twice a day. 
• Indulge in self-care. Self-care is an important part of taking care of one’s physical, mental, and emotional self. Self care comes in a lot of forms, such as taking power naps, taking a long bath, going on a walk, meditating, reading an interesting book, or cooking a healthy, farm to table meal.