January tiredness

Tell your DD it is the "Ides of January"! THat should cheer her up.

I love January. it just gets better from now on. except for the mud...though Feb is worst for mud I find. This is a dog owners eye view we are very focused on mud. a really snowy freezy january is what I love best. clean and bright - no pressure. lovely.

I, like Sarah, would hibernate if possible. I just don’t function in the cold. I have to admit I was getting down on myself for being so lethargic but feel much happier since reading all the comments from you lovely people

Talking about sitting watching television. This week every afternoon we have been watching “Designated Survivor” on Netflix. A real pot boiler.

Not suitable for those who hate everything American

I used to feel dreadful every January but started taking a Ubiquinol supplement, just one a day then one every other day in February. I don’t take it any other time of the year.

It really helped my energy levels. Of course it might be simply a placebo effect.

It's one of the reasons we moved to SW France, I hated English winters - 6 months of grey and damp. Here we have lots of sunshine even if it is colder, but it's not so damp. and deep joy it doesn't get dark until about 6pm even in December.

However after thirteen winters we are beginning to moan about them as we have got used to the advantages! Spring comes quicker as does the sun and there are already all sorts of bulbs and flowers pushing through.

I am sure we were meant to hibernate after the mid winter festival had got us over the first half of the winter. Christmas does have a reason!

I'm so reassured to see how common this is. I think it's a combination of all the factors mentioned already but I also think for me, it's a kind of rebound of brain chemicals. It's a dip following the stresses of Christmas. I often get quite down after a period of stress. I just go with it now. I know it will pass so I just give myself a break and wait it out.

Blue Monday
So pleased I tuned in early today. Like so many others my body clock wants to rest but my mind wants to race at normal speed. We are very fortunate and spend quite a bit of the winters in southern Spain which helps me immensely but are not due to go until 24 th Jan usually away by this time. Since we returned on 1 Dec I have been bombarded by bugs etc and now pulled muscle in my back. But onwards and upwards gentle walks, excercis strong painkillers for a few days and doc has assured me I will be fit to travel. Yippee. Gransnet is a life saver for me. It is so good to read other people's issues around family life and we are parents to 4 married sons so we get our fair share.
Sending a big Thank You to all contributers and please keep sharing.

I usually feel grotty in January, but this year a friend invited me to try the 64 Million Artists January Challenge - every day they email you a simple arty-crafty suggestion and you do it if you want to or have time. No pressure at all. So every morning I look forward to the challenge and instead of feeling miserable, I focus on how I will carry it out. I’m not particularly good at arty stuff but it’s stretched my imagination, I’ve remembered that I used to enjoy creative writing snd might do some more when the challenge is over. And I’ve discovered that I really don’t enjoy making things out of toilet roll tubes! - but that’s all part of the fun.

I thought it was just me!

Me too, I would rather be outdoors but not in this weather. January is a hibernation month.

I am trying to force myself to have a good clear-out of cupboards etc, although much of it is going back again (but tidier).

Right, off with the internet, on with the sorting out! In a minute.

I’m with Jalima and try to sort out a cupboard, or something, everyday. Today it was annoying one in the corner of the kitchen (not the base one that has a pully-out thing) so the “bits” box is tidy and the Kilner jars are in size order. I know, I know, it won’t last but it’s my achievement for today. And I made a big pan of garbage soup which will cheer us up for lunch. This afternoon it will be catching up with recorded programmes.

Do tubes of paint go hard after a few years of being left in a wardrobe, unused, unloved? I am thinking acrylics, watercolours, etc

And I keep looking at the photos and shutting the boxes again.

Sorry, Sussexgirl meant to say - you’re absolutely in the majority in feeling the way you’d do. You’re achieving every day so give yourself a pat on the back!

Most of the local people I know my age have been ill in the last month and have struggled to get themselves back to 100%.
It used to be February that was my SAD month when I was working.
My bulbs are coming through and my honeysuckle is sprouting, roll on spring.

Had a very busy Christmas , now been watching DH sleep or read most of the day for the past week. I did a couple of hours gardening then suggested as we unusually have a child free week and nothing in the diary we could go away . That was enough to galvanise him into booking a few days city break that we meant to do years ago . Now he's happily trotting around organising things . Result !!

I’m having trouble getting motivated although I thought I was determined to improve myself in the new year . However it’s my birthday next week and I’m going away for a few days and will be seeing old friends and visiting places that are special to me. I’m hoping this will be enough for me to rediscover my ‘get up and go’!

I'm usually okay in January but OH and I have had that awful cold virus that is doing the rounds and we've had it on and off for a whole month, so we missed out on a lot of things over Christmas and New Year. I actually spent Christmas Day in my pj's as I felt so ill and to top it all we had a turkey that was off too!

I keep reminding OH that the silver lining in all this is that now he has taken early retirement it doesn't matter if we have the occasional 'duvet day'

The old black dog sits in the corner looking at me every January, and much of February too. It's a miserable time of year. Roll on spring.

I'm not a January lover either. Never have been. The downside moved with circumstances. Years ago it was finance but nowadays it seems to be endless grey days. I'm combatting it with longer lie-ins, project of painting the bathroom (finished yesterday) and arranging more than usual lunch meetings. Just realised today we are half way through so that's an added boost. Also future trip plannings gives a lift to me no matter how grand or simple. Currently in diary is forthcoming to visit friends and a friend coming to me. Also trying to arrange an Italian trip but that's proving fraught with incompatabilities. However the research is proving uplifting in the midst of the frustration. I'm needing a new indoor project but how to avoid cleaning in the mix has me baffled!

Sounds good to me SMITHY. It's exactly what I do on some days, either reading lots if books or planning what to plant in the garden and ordering online. I can see a patch of blue in the sky right now and rain stopped so a 2 minute walk to the bakery and Waitrose will set me up if the weather turns nasty. I'm lucky in that I live in on a high street in a small picturesque town so everything is right on my doorstep. I can nip in Waitrose at 7.30am for shopping and free coffee and a paper after my morning run and be home in two minutes so no need to 'dress up' and drive. The weather will perk up and so will you. Enjoy.

I live in Scandinavia, its the same here, everyone fed up with the short dark days, everyone longing for spring, which may be in April if we are lucky.On the radio today they said January is one of the "poorest months" nobody has any money left after Christmas, I can second that!
Imagine in the far north of this country when they dont see the light of day for months, but see the light for twenty four hours a day during the summer, no happy medium.

I know the January blues thing is more normal but I feel the exact opposite! Christmas and the weeks of build up is so exhausting and frenetic once it’s all over I breathe a sigh of relief. I look at it this way- it’s the longest time now before you have to do the whole Christmas craziness again, the days are getting longer, it’s an ideal time to take stock and have a clear out. I love being able to put away the decorations and get the house back to normal. So far I’ve taken a load of books to Oxfam, cleared out the loft and taken stuff to the tip, taken coats to a charity shop as I have some new ones. Gone back to playing the piano because I have the time in the winter. Knitted a hat for my DGS.
I and some of the family have had viruses, but we’re over them now and spring is on the way as there are snowdrops in the graveyard near where I live! Hope this will inspire others to snap out of it!

Are my DH and I the only people who wrap up really warmly, tea cosy hats, scarves gloves etc and force ouselves out for a brisk walk? Even when it's raining We find it lifts our mood and we look forward to a cup of tea and a bit of cake or some toast when we get home. (and a G & T later! ) Even better if our daughter and her mad dogs come too! " Don't give into it " is our motto.

carolmary I meant to say that I also make myself walk everyday whatever the weather, 30 minutes at least. It lifts your mood and makes you feel less guilty about sitting around for the rest of the day!