The dark month
A guide to the dreaded ‘January blues’ … and how to beat them
The combination of stress and excitement that comes with the holidays is finally over. This should mean it’s time to relax, to ease our way into 2008 and to look forward to what the new year has in store for us. Not so, apparently. January is the most depressing month of the year, studies show. The term ‘January blues’ exists for a reason.
So forget the optimism which is supposed to be around at the beginning of the year. We strive to keep up our New Year’s resolutions, the mechanism that most people use to control what lies ahead – and which therapists say are often carelessly made and seldom followed through. But let’s face it: January brings anxiety.
“The problem with resolutions are the expectations, and most of us who make them don’t make realistic ones,” says Teresa Gevedon, MD, a psychiatrist at the University of Kentucky Medical Centre. “I encourage goals, but setting resolutions tends to set you up to fail.” And failure only adds to the chance of you getting infected with those blues.
William Pollack, PhD, assistant clinical professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School in Boston, offers a possible solution. “Make (your resolutions) so simple, clear, and immediately useful that you can’t fail to achieve them.” It makes sense: try to make a small improvement in daily life, such as paying the bills on time, rather than promising to lose 10 kilos by spring.
The short daylight hours in the month of January doesn’t help either. January blues are part of the more general malaise known as Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD, a type of winter depression particularly prevalent in December, January and February. Up to two per cent of North Europeans suffer badly from SAD, while 10 per cent put up with milder symptoms. The lack of sunlight causes a biochemical imbalance in the hypothalamus, the part of the brain controlling the autonomic nervous system which regulates many vital biological processes.
“Dissatisfaction or melancholy can be a source of inspiration even if only to sing out and release our blues,” says Costa Constantinides, a licensed counselling psychologist who also works as a counsellor at the Grammar School. But the reality remains that for some people the winter blues is a seriously disabling illness, preventing them from functioning normally without continuous medical treatment, while for others, it is a mild but debilitating condition causing discomfort but not severe suffering.
If lack of sunlight is a major cause of January blues, then why do we Cypriots, who are lucky enough to live on an island basked in year-round sunshine, still experience them? Constantinides is familiar with the local psyche. “Cyprus, despite our excess of sunlight, is less the twinkle in Europe’s eye and more the tear. We are arguably even more cynical and pessimistic than most Europeans because we live in a long shadow forever creating phantasms of victimisation and impotency,” he says.
There seems to be no better time to dwell on our own pessimism than January. This is because no matter how hard we try, this month can seem like one huge anti-climax after the buzz of the festive season. For weeks your schedule was packed with activities and commitments that kept you quite busy, then January hits hard, leaving you feeling like your social calendar has nosedived into obscurity.
Mental health professionals say it takes a real psychological toll on some people. With this general lack of distraction and empty time at hand, Cypriots may feel trapped more than ever by problematic social issues, and left facing a desperate need for change. “The Cyprus problem is a great fog politicians use to obscure gaping social holes, such as within the health and educational systems,” Constantinides says. “We allow our leaders to sell us promises of change without sacrifice or accountability, prolonging the emotional winter with dreamy stories of a ‘just’ spring and mutual blame.”
Sometimes, we can only blame ourselves, though, as the amount of celebrating in the previous month can have a large effect on us, both physically and psychologically. Alcohol is a depressant which has a lingering impact. It follows that the more you partied during the holidays, and the ‘higher’ you felt, the ‘lower’ or more depressed and depleted of energy you will feel come January. Consider it a withdrawal symptom of some sort.
Indeed, any energy from the holiday will have worn off by the third week of January. Misery is expected to peak around the 24th, a date which has been found to be especially dangerous, as it comes a whole month after the Christmas festivities. Recently, however, Dr. Cliff Arnall of Cardiff University calculated that the third Monday of the year – this year falling on January 21 – is actually the worst day of the year. He took into account six factors: weather, the arrival of credit card bills, time since Christmas, time since failing new year’s resolutions, low motivational levels and the feeling of a need to take action. Who would have thought there would ever be a formula for the worst day of the year, but now that there is, is it really a surprise that Blue Monday happens to fall in January?
The most emotionally troublesome aspect of the January blues may be associated with the new year’s position as a marker of time – both passed and to come. Already, the holidays can be particularly difficult for those whose lives aren’t perfect, but January is the hardest month of all. Frequent questions people ask themselves this time of year are: ‘What have I done with my life? What is the meaning of my life? Where do I go from here?’ Unfortunately, for most, January brings not answers but melancholia – a magnified version of what psychologists say happens at the close of every year. The new year is supposed to be an exciting, exhilarating experience of letting out the old and thinking of the new.
“In reality, that’s not how the world is. Things don’t just go away,” says Pollack. “Amongst the so-called booming economy, we have more poverty than ever before, racial tension, pain, and heartache … that was supposed to have been cured – and we’re supposed to be happy.”
Society may give us the message that we should be happy and enjoying ourselves, but our response is, “I’m not happy, I’m miserable.” We also tend to think everyone else is happy. The feelings that result – hopelessness, helplessness, and isolation – provide an excellent medium for depression to grow.
“It’s no surprise Cypriots sit at the festive table with hunger pains no souvla will solve,” says Constantinides. “January finds us heavier in fat, debt and disappointment, and further from hope, empowerment and integrity.” Cold weather, debt, fading Christmas memories, failed resolutions and a lack of motivation conspire to add to this depression. No wonder international suicide levels remain at their highest at the beginning of the year.
It’s hard to stay cheery with statistics like that. Below are some tips to help you do just that. So read on and prepare yourself in advance, or if you’re already in a slump, take some action.
Tips on beating the January blues:
l Take this quiet time for introspection and reflection instead of trying to achieve too much so close to the beginning of the year.
l With the new year comes resolutions, but keep them simple and realistic to avoid having a sense of failure. Don’t be too hard on yourself.
l For those who are down, avoiding alcohol may be prudent, since it is a depressant and can deplete your energy.
l Go outside and get some sunshine – winter depression is often caused by lack of sunlight.
l Exercise. Don’t let your body go into complete ‘hibernation’ mode or else you will end up feeling even more lethargic. Make the effort to keep moving – even it means just going for a brisk walk daily. Not only will it help you shed excess Christmas pounds but it is fantastic for releasing “feel good” chemicals.
l Get a new hobby. Pick something that will hold your interest and provide you with a sense of enthusiasm for the coming year.
l Research future travel destinations. By doing the legwork now, when you have the time and finances to book your dream trip you’ll have all the information on that exotic locale ready and waiting.
l Spend all those gift certificates you received at Christmas.
l Talk. Contact a friend or family. Spot the signs of isolation and beat them by arranging to meet with someone you haven’t seen in a while.
l Treat yourself to some Rest and Relaxation. Try reading a good book, taking a hot bath or doing some yoga. Book some time in a spa. Pamper yourself.
l Nurture your body as well as your mind. Introduce some good ‘mood’ foods into your diet as it’s a fact that certain nutrients can help you feel happier. Try oily fish, porridge, green vegetables and milk.
l Sleep. Chances are that sleep has not been a high priority over the past few weeks, and sleep deprivation leads to irritability and depression. Try to get back into a regular sleeping pattern and aim for seven to eight hours each night. Whatever you do, try not to oversleep, as this will only makes you feel worse.
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The Cyprus Samaritans
As many as one in five people in the UK experience depression at some time in their lives.
“But we are not in the UK,” I can hear you cry. Depression can hit anyone of us at any time. It does not differentiate between countries, nationalities or sexes. Blue Monday, January 21, could be our chance to find out more about the serious side of life’s downs, and why it affects so many of us. Perhaps then, we can begin to understand what might be done to help and overcome the issues surrounding depression.
If you are suffering from depression, don’t bottle up your emotions. The Cyprus Samaritans have been providing confidential support for over 10 years, for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those that could lead to suicide. Callers are given time to express their feelings in total confidence, are not judged or criticised, are not given advice or told what to do. Callers can talk freely and openly about their deepest feelings to someone who will really listen to them and be there for them for as long as is necessary.
Everyone, at sometime in their life, needs somebody to talk to. Somebody who will really listen in total confidence, without making judgements or criticisms, for whatever it is that is troubling them. You can always call Cyprus Samaritans any evening between 6–10 pm on 77 777267. (By Sue Horton)
