The January Blues

How to battle your blue mood in the cold winter months – A PandaCookbook guide

There comes a time of year – after the Christmas break, when all the festive chocolate is eaten and New Year’s parties are over and done with – when the realisation sinks in that it’s January again. The beginning of a new year can be very daunting, as I’m currently experiencing first hand.

I’m not sure what exactly brought it on: Maybe it’s the knowledge that I’ve just come out of my last real, long ‘holiday break’ and that massive amounts of work are already looming on the horizon. It’s possibly also the prospect of having to lose like 15 kg this year (my own fault for making it my New Year’s resolution) and having no clue how to achieve that.

No matter the reason, the feeling is – I assume – mutual: You’re feeling depressed, like everything is slightly dulled down – the colours, emotions, sounds. Sometimes you might ask yourself what’s the point of putting effort into projects; you may feel distracted, or focused on something completely other than work although it’s sitting right there  on your desk. Now, if you’re thinking, “thank god it’s not just me”, rest assured that feeling moody and having the blues this time of year is perfectly normal. With the promising glow of Christmas gone, yet the cold and short days of winter remaining, a lot of people experience what has recently been called S.A.D.

But I’m not here to tell you how you’re feeling and why. Instead, here are some ideas of what you can do to improve your mood, lift your spirits and launch yourself into spring!

Vitamin C:

Whether it’s a glass of juice (e.g. orange, pink grapefruit or tropical) with your breakfast, banana or blueberries in your cereal, having a boost of vitamin C in the morning fills up your tank for the day and will help with concentration. Plus, as we Germans say: “Sauer macht lustig!” – So literally, biting the sour lemon will cheer you up and make you happy. 😉

Whole-Grain and Natural Sugars:

Whole-grain bread or cereal in the morning will also help to keep you going throughout your day, because the carbs will fill you up and prevent your blood sugar from getting too low. For snacking, try to rely on natural sugars as found in fruit instead of artificial sugars such as in sweets and chocolate bars. Natural sugars will keep you going for longer. 🙂

Comfort Food:

For those moments when the whole world seems to be against you, cook yourself something nice, warm and filling. My recipe is a lovely sweet-potato gratin: Slice the sweet potato and lay the slices out in an oven-proof dish, pour over cream and milk, add salt, pepper and nutmeg – if you want to, cover it with cheese – and into the pre-heated oven it goes at 200 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Alternatively, you could also try to bake something. Sometimes, when I’m depressed, I make cupcakes or biscuits. It’s a nice distraction from the world and you end up with delicious treats! 😀

A Good Cry Movie:

Finally, on a less food-related note, sometimes it helps to have a good cry while watching a particularly cheesy film – or read a sad book. My personal favourite is a film called “EverAfter” starring Drew Barrymore. 😉

I hope this post has been of some help. I’m feeling slightly better myself. It’s always good to remember that no matter how down you feel, things may look completely different the next day. 🙂