Blue Monday: How to motivate yourself this January

As the seasons change, so does our mental wellbeing, that’s why we’re sharing our top tips for remaining positive and sticking to your goals this January to ensure you feel good all year round. 

Instead of setting resolutions to cover the whole year, why not start by setting monthly ones? By setting monthly goals, it can make your targets easier to achieve and can allow you to feel a greater sense of accomplishment as the year goes on. By the end of the year you’ll have achieved not one resolution but twelve, so the process is more rewarding.

When you meet your goals, reward yourself in whatever way you like. Rewarding yourself helps not only to recognize your hard work but also helps to motivate you throughout the rest of the year. Your reward doesn’t have to be big, it could be something as simple as treating yourself at your local coffee shop, having a day trip to your favourite place or just simply having a day to relax by yourself.

Practicing gratitude can be a great way to keep you motivated, allowing yourself to acknowledge what you have in your life that you are grateful for can help you stay focused. For those who don’t know where to start, practicing gratitude can be as simple as writing down one thing that you are grateful for each day, or taking a photo of something you are grateful for each month, this way you can use the images to motivate you when you need it most.

Whether it’s a life goal or weekly goal writing them down allows you to review them and see if they have been achieved.  It can also remind you of the steps that you need to take to get there. Reminding yourself of the long-term goal can help you to reach short-term milestones.

Positivity breeds positivity and the people around you can be a great way to boost your mood and mentality. Surround yourself with your family, friends, work colleagues or anyone who makes you feel happy and positive. Why not connect with someone you haven’t seen in a while or make more of an effort to connect with those around you. Boosting your mood will help build your confidence to face the new year head on.

Feeling relaxed can help with your motivation, as having enough downtime can help you face the days that seem a little overwhelming and stressful. To help you relax why not try chair exercises, meditation and getting plenty of sleep. When you feel good, you can face anything so getting plenty of rest and relaxation may just be the thing you need to keep you motivated.

Reminding yourself about why you want to feel heathier, learn a new skill or reach any goal can help motivate you towards the final outcome. Remember, you’re doing this for a reason so try to visualise your end goal whenever you feel like giving up or when you’re having an off day.