On January and the “January Disease”
Hi guys!
Compliments of the New Year to you all. I’m sure that,mid-month as it is,a good number of us have managed to get our bearings, land on our feet and we’re on track,one way or another. At the same time, a good number of us who are still wondering what’s new about the new year. And another bunch of us still,who didn’t start out so well…
Which brings me to what I want us to talk about:- the real side of the famous ‘January disease’, especially the mental health part of it.
See, a new year brings with it a lot of changes to all of us – expected, unexpected, good, bad,big,small…you name it. And those changes,like every other change,tend to have an impact on our lives,environment, and our mental health. Not all of us cheered the new year when the clock struck 12. For some,it meant a lot of questions we didn’t have the answers to. For some,it meant decisions and changes we just weren’t ready to face. It could be financial, life-related,relationships, school,family,friends,living space…
You have your own list. The one that fits you among the victims and survivors of the ‘January disease’ syndrome. And if we don’t start of well,if we don’t manage it well,it could lead to the unhealthy stress that I touched on in my previous post. It’s not surprising that stress levels,suicides,and other mental health-related concerns tend to rise around this time. In fact,it could be probable that the so-called ‘January-disease’ streches well into March/April for some!
So far we’ve established that far beyond the memes,the jokes,the humour associated with the first month of the year, ‘January disease’ remains a recurring and very real threat to mental health,if not managed very well.
How do we deal with it?
We’ll have discussions on it as time goes on,but basically, some handy tips could be:-
•plan ahead of the new year (a month or two before it!)
•seperate needs and wants,and budget accordingly
•prior proper preparation prevents a pretty poor performance
•leave adequate room for adjustment, improvement, and disappointment
•positivity (and loads of it!)
•above all,be gentle with yourself. Its a new year,after all. And they’re not called baby steps for nothing; it’s a process after all.
Try to see the new year as life giving you another shot,another go. Every disease has a cure,a treatment plan,a survival technique. And the January disease is no exception. So stay safe,stay positive, and have a healthy,happy new year. Above all,take care of your mental health.
Because#Mentalhealthmatters❤🧠 