Ugh, January. It's enough to make anyone go Dawson.
But there are a few things you can do to make it suck less, like not torturing yourself with rules on all those things you can't do. Why make a bad month worse by giving up things you love? Instead, have a bit of what you love but don't go overboard, and follow these tips to make January just about ok...
1. Don't bother with the sales
After the mad pre-Christmas shopping extravaganza, it's a surprise anyone has any elbows left to sharpen in order to make the most of the January sales. Who are these people who get up at 5am on Boxing Day to get to Next before everyone else? And what are they buying? The January sales are hell, and best avoided unless you're a bargain hunter extraordinaire (hi, mum). Shop online instead, and get everything delivered to work so you can really annoy the office manager / intern / person who distributes the post*.
2. Book a holiday
On the off chance that you have some money left after Christmas (maybe you got some in your stocking?) consider taking advantage of new year discounts and offers at travel agents and sites like Expedia and book yourself a trip somewhere. Even if you don't actually go until June, it'll give you something to look forward too. And it's important to get these things sorted early, before your colleagues book all the good dates and you end up being the only person in the office throughout July and August, fielding out of office emails the whole time and looking forward to your rainy October holiday.
3. Don't go to the gym
If you're a member of a gym, rest assured it'll be crammed full of fairweather January detoxers at the moment. But most of them will be gone by the 20th, so let the lull die down and take some time off. Bad weather might make going for a run instead a bit difficult, but buy an exercise DVD (they're always cheap this time of year) and do that at home instead if you want to keep up good habits. Jillian Michaels will work wonders on a post-Christmas bod, trust me.
4. Do that thing you've been putting off for ages.
For a lot of people in January, 'that thing' is the dreaded tax return, due on 31th January (meaning we all leave it until that day and crash the servers with alarming predictability rather than doing it earlier). For you, maybe it's cleaning out the cupboard under the stairs, or painting the bathroom. Whatever job you've been putting off in the hopes it'll just disappear, just get it done now. You'll feel loads better afterwards, and chances are it won't be as nightmarish as you expected once you get going.
5. Throw a party
Who has parties in January?! Even those with birthdays this month tend to keep things quite quiet and laid back - but that's exactly why you should do the opposite. A dull, damp, miserable month needs some high points. So take advantage of all the leftover New Year bubbly in the shops, stock up on cheap party food and think up a ridiculous theme that'll make people smile. You need no excuse to have a party other than having great friends to invite.
6. Spend an entire day in bed
This works best if you have a tv in your room and someone on hand to bring you snacks. A bed pan is also useful. Oh, and only do it when you're not meant to be in work. Unless you work from home, you lucky sod.
7. Treat yourself!
Why is January always about being 'good'? With so many people tightening their purse strings, not to mention all the detoxing, dieting and staying in, it's actually the best time for treats! You can get amazing deals on top restaurants, theatre tickets, 'experience' days and spas at this time of year. Try voucher codes websites, LastMinute.com and those dreaded group buying websites for deals, discounts and codes, or buy a Taste Card for 50% (or buy one get one free) in thousands of restaurants across the country.
8. Get a new hairdo
Start the new year with a bang and change your hair radically. Dye it a different colour, go for the chop, get a perm or a straightening treatment (the digital perm and the brazillian blow-dry are the latest treatments) or try a fringe or layers. You'll feel like a new person. Plus, after a busy December, salons are often quieter in January, meaning a more relaxed appointment without the party season rush.
9. Set yourself a challenge
Getting your greymatter in gear will quickly pull you out of a new year lull, so set yourself a creative challenge. Write (or finish) a novel, blog every day for a month, learn to sew, crochet or knit and make something amazing, buy a baking book and work through every recipe, write letters to all your friends and send them by snail mail, or read your way through the Guardian's list of 1000 novels everyone must read (that should keep you going for a while).
10. Have a drink
This is particularly good during the second half of the month, when all those angelic friends of yours who've given up booze for January have started to feel the strain. By this point, you've had to put up with them banging on about how easy it is for quite some time...but ten quid says their resolve soon weakens so by the 20th they're gasping for a drink. And when they're weeping into their lime and soda, you can have a shot of vodka in yours and feel very, very smug indeed. Give up booze up in February instead, but don't talk about it. You can then play a fun game of 'how long until someone asks me if I'm pregnant'. I give it until Valentines Day.
*if you're the person who distributes the post, sorry. It was me once.
