I can’t believe its already January. I don’t know if you are like me, but when January hits post the Holiday Season, I just want to curl up in a dark corner and wake up again in the Spring or Summer.
Why are we so down or depressed in January?
Financial Woes
During the Holidays, we have spent hundreds or thousands of dollars leading up to and during the season.
According to CNBC “average debt borrowers took on climbed to $1,549 in 2022, a 24% increase from last year’s average of $1,249.” The spending can be comforting and enjoyable until January comes around and all the debt kicks in and must begin to be paid.
Time off work and more time with Family
For me, the Holidays bring such joy, spending time with my little ones and greater family.
Depending on your profession, many people take time off of work around the holidays to spend with family or get needed rest and relaxation. A long time period away from the “grind” can be exciting and create a sense of euphoria by gaining extra time with family that you may have not had normally during the year and it also temporally removes the stressors of work. Going back to work can return the stressors, feeling of isolation from family through the heavy demands of your position.
Also, many people in the work force feel the burden of corporate goals and pressures to perform and meet financial goals for the new year.
Health
I know that I will splurge and indulge in the many wonderful foods and treats during the holiday season, only to realize I need to right size my food intake once January comes around.
Post-holiday weight and health issues can add to the stress of the new year.
Strategies on avoiding the January Depression
Setting Goals and Expectations
Its easy to go with the flow and shut yourself down or go into holiday mode once you get to the end of the year. Its almost like we turn off responsibility and pass it over the wall into the next year. I saw a funny meme during the holidays that said any problems from now until the end of the year are next years problems.
A lot of the stress and depression that comes out of the holiday season can come from a lack of preparedness and misalignment of goals and expectations. Every year we know that we will spend a lot of money, our time off of work will be limited, we will need to kick into high gear at work in January and we need to do better with our health. So why is it a surprise when any of those things come into fruition or happen? Instead of going with the flow and shutting down during the holiday season, come up with goals to help prepare your financial and emotional expectations.
Financial Goals
Earlier in the year, start designing your budget for yourself or your family. A great strategy I try to follow is to create financial goals at the beginning of the year and then re-evaluate them quarterly throughout the year. My wife and I will break out all of our costs on a spreadsheet (there are several options via Apps and the web that could be utilized) and determine what is left over for our fun things like vacations and the holidays. This way there is not surprise or shock once the holidays are over as we have prepared a set budget for all of the gifts and activities expended during the season. This strategy also helps you optimize your savings and really understand how you are spending your money.
Also, specifically for the holidays, start shopping earlier in the year (I know easier said than done), but you may find better deals on items and your spending would be spread out so you don’t go into as much debt during the holidays.
Time away from Work and Work Goals
Vacation and time away from work are extremely important, that is a primary reason we work so that we can spend more time enjoying our lives and time with family and loved ones.
That motto about your work woes at the end the year being the next year’s problems, although funny, is the exact opposite of what you want to do because whatever you have left over for the current year will just create anxiety as you approach the new year and increase your workload in the new year. When it comes to end of year work, a smart strategy is to make sure that before the holiday season gets in front of you, have a roadmap of all the things that you need to get done before the end of the year and then your goals and strategies for the new year.
Work goals and road mapping are a great way to get organized and be better prepared for things to come:
- Make a list of action items and put dates to hold yourself accountable.
- Layout your plan for the new year and the actions that you need to take to achieve that goal.
- Break everything into steps, so that your accountability can be checked as the various items and tasks are completed.
- Give yourself a score, determine what are your weaknesses and strengths, and work to improve yourself or bolster your talents.
There are several personal organization software options out there via the web and apps, or you can use a notebook and pen, it doesn’t matter as long as you are putting together a plan.
Health Goals
I know it is easy to quickly get out of a routine during the holidays with regards to health. We are traveling, going to parties and changing our overall rhythm. The best strategy like the other topics discussed is to get your health goals in line prior to the holidays Starting a new healthy lifestyle is good idea no matter when you execute it, so if you want to start at the new year go for it! The trick to getting ahead is to start early and stay ahead:
- Establish a gym membership
- Join an exercise club or group
- Meal Prep (ties back to financial planning)
- Get a health coach
- Create a health vision and plan to hold yourself accountable
Thriving during and post holidays
It is easy to shut ourselves down during the holidays and in a sense toss our responsibilities out the window into the next year, but the way to thrive and ultimately make ourselves happier is to be better prepared and establish goals throughout the year to achieve our desired expectations.
If you found this article helpful, check out our link to our fatherhood page for other helpful and information articles.