9 Science-Backed Mood Boosting Tools For Cold January Nights
It's dark, it's cold, it's never-ending... here are some actionable tips to get us through
Personally, I don’t actually mind January.
It’s so, well, undemanding. No one expects anything of you because it’s cold and dark and everyone is divided into two polar post-Christmas camps – recovering from a horrifically stressful time vs riding high from a joyful, restful (probably beach-orientated) break – neither of whom wants anything to do with the other.
I also quite like January for the health extremes it offers. One friend is on a microbiome kick, mainlining sauerkraut. Another is doing ‘wet Jan’, where she has a drink everyday. Diversity is the spice of life, and all that…
But the fact is January is dark and it is cold and it does seemingly never-end with its five (FIVE!) Mondays, so it’s natural to need a bit of a mental boost at this time of year. I’ve compiled a list of positive psychology informed, actionable tips for beating (or at least challenging) those January blues. Hope they’re helpful and if you like them, please share with a friend :)
9 Science-Backed Mood Boosting Tools For Cold January Nights
1. Learn something new
Challenging yourself with a new skill is a brilliant way to break up the humdrum of daily life, as well as feel more confident and motivated generally. My friend Ioanna gave me a yoga wheel for Christmas and I’ve spent the past few days on Youtube learning how to use it. I keep nearly falling and might end up seriously injured, but I’m having fun!
2. Perform an act of kindness
As many of you will have heard me say a million times over: I believe self-care can be too selfish. I think we spend WAY too much time thinking about our own experiences and not nearly enough about others and the world around us. (FYI, I include myself in this.) Check on a friend, grab a coffee / chocolate bar for a homeless person, make a charity donation. (Ps. kindness is scientifically proven to boost wellbeing.)
3. Make a happy list
Simple but powerful exercise - write down everything that makes you happy, then do more of it. If you love watching rom-coms, like my most recent podcast guest, Bobby Palmer, then spend more time doing that. If you find meaning and satisfaction in playing video games, do that. Time in nature, do that. Basically, life is hard, and it’s essential to make sure you actually do the stuff that makes you happy.
4. Think about your priorities
Obviously I would say this! But seriously, the reason I’m obsessed with priorities is because I know how easy it is to find oneself swept up by the general demands of modern living and not allowing space or time for what’s actually important to you. Take ten minutes to write down what matters to you, then take steps to spend more time and energy on those things.
5. Define your mission statement
A brilliant method for shifting your focus and firing up your soul is to spend some time thinking about what’s important to you and how you want to live your life. In case you missed it, I wrote a free guide to doing just that here.
6. Laugh
If you’re feeling really down, then a quick, positive emotional boost can give your brain the relief it needs to get out of a slump. Trick your mind into feeling good by watching your favourite comedian or Tiktoker for 5/10 minutes - it’ll instantly raise your endorphin levels (feel-good chemicals), and lower your stress hormone levels.
7. Reward yourself
Our brains f*cking LOVE rewards. Pick a task you need/want to do this month and then decide on a reward to give yourself upon completion of it. Cake, a massage, a movie, a new book, a holiday… your desire for this reward will motivate you and keep you feeling excited for what’s to come (it’s important for humans to have something to look forward to - the brain loves anticipation, often even more than outcome!)
8. Create a ritual or routine
Rituals are something we have relied on since the beginning of time, so even if you think they’re a bit woo-woo or religious, the fact is the brain loves them. And while lighting a candle is not going to alleviate a depressive episode, having a few things you do regularly and in succession to make yourself feel better can help over time. Mine is: glass of water, meditate for 5 mins, put Bertioli breathing balm on my pulse points (smell can help reduce stress) then enjoy a peaceful cup of coffee while I work on my most important task of the day. (FYI, this all happens AFTER I drop my children at nursery, my actual ‘morning routine’ is hectic and hinges on what time the baby wakes up and how quickly I can get my daughter to put on clothes/brush her teeth/do anything at all.)
9. Change your thoughts
I know, I know, SO much easier said than done. But it’s worth taking mental stock of the types of thoughts you’re having about life and yourself, and asking whether they are making you feel better or worse. Our brain is super lazy - in order to conserve energy it likes to think the same thoughts, but that doesn’t mean those thoughts are necessarily helpful to us, it’s more that we’re used to thinking them. Make your brain work a bit harder by replacing a few of the unhelpful/stressful thoughts with some more helpful or neutral ones. If you’re not quite sure how to do this, a non-spiritual mantra is a good place to start. Be your own internal cheerleader with something like… “All is well” or “You’ve got this” or my personal favourite, from my good friend Ben: “Good Times, Good Vibes”.
Do you have a tip or tool that you use to lift your mood? Please share it in the comment section below :)
I love this Lily. Paarticularly the laugh one.
schittscreeks, britishgoop, Dog_hilarious, Celeste Barber on Instagram. Pretty much guaranteed to make me howl.