It’s common knowledge that January is one of the most depressing months of the year. Everyone’s strapped for cash, the weather is bleak, you’re sick to death of food and you’ve had to go back to work after a nice break for Christmas and New Year. But it doesn’t all have to be doom and gloom… its a brand new year! So here’s a few tips to help you get through the beginning of the new year without being too down.

“New year, new you!”
Your general attitude to this year can have a huge effect on what you get out of it. If you have a positive approach, and say “you know what, this year could be my year” – it will definitely help you on the road to reaching your goals. “You get out of it what you put in”, as the saying goes, so if your attitude is negative and miserable then your definitely going to be miserable. It has a lot to do with confidence: so if there’s ever a good time to treat yourself or try something different, then this is it. Just as an example; I have dyed my hair back to purple to start the new year and have started to lose weight dieting and I’m feeling as confident as ever. The world is your oyster! Believe it and you could be having the best year yet.

Stop making excuses and go for it!
Sometimes the simplest of things can make the biggest difference, and with the year still being new it’s a good time to make a few changes in your life. Maybe you’ve been saying for months you were going to take up a hobby, start eating healthier or finally clean out the garage – no time is better than the present. And do not forget to fix garage doors. You promised yourself to call your local Metro Garage Door Repair Company for a while, so it is the right time. One of my changes this year is to get our house kitted out properly, with matching kitchen appliances – so by the end of the year, I’ll have a styled kitchen to be proud of. The in-laws have already beaten me to this and gone for a polka-dot kettle and toaster in the sales.

Hit the sales
Seriously… go shopping! There are lots of January sales, and you can get so many things for a brilliant price. You can even buy presents, wrapping paper and bows for next Christmas: all of which can save you so much money in the long run. Also, it’s a good excuse to treat yourself or give something new a go! There’s no excuse at the start of a new year, go for it. Begin your year keeping fit: a lot of home gym equipment and diet food is sold during January. Saving money is always a good thing in my books, and you can be pleasantly surprised by the sales.

Have something to look forward to!
Lastly, I always find it makes a rough day a bit more bearable if I have something to look forward to when I get home. The same principle applies to those winter blues. If you usually go on a holiday then start looking and booking now. If money is a bit tighter this year, look into weekend breaks or coach day trips: a really cost effective way of taking the family out for the day. Make plans for the odd weekend or do something special for the occasions coming up in your life – like birthdays or Valentine’s Day. It could literally be anything – a night out at the cinema, a shopping day, eating out, going for a drink with friends –  it all counts towards having something to keep you going this January.