Skip to content
15% OFF WITH YOUR FIRST ORDER WITH CODE NUTRICOFIRST15

Cart

Your cart is empty

Mind & Body

8 Feel-Good Wellbeing Rituals To Avoid The January Blues

Setting New Year’s resolutions? Before you do, consider these healthy lifestyle habits to give you more energy, improve your mood and avoid that post-holiday season lull.

8 Feel-Good Wellbeing Rituals To Avoid The January Blues

#1

After the busy festive season, everything seems to go quiet in January. The third Monday in January is known as Blue Monday. It’s thought to be when people feel their lowest in the year. The excitement from the holidays is over, it’s cold and dark, and there’s nothing to look forward to. Why not try incorporating these feel-good rituals into your routine to boost your energy, mood and start your year on a high?  

INCORPORATE SELF-CARE SUNDAY  

Taking some time out of a busy schedule for me-time is so important. Our modern society often rewards busy, hectic schedules, and doesn’t commend resting enough. Not only is time alone doing little else but thinking good for creativity, it’s good for productivity too. Yes, rest is productive. We need to recuperate to function properly with downtime that isn’t spent sleeping. What better way to recuperate by taking care of mind, body, and soul with a pamper evening or dedicated self-care Sunday?  

Fill your space with your favorite scents – relaxing essential oils like lavender, rosemary, jasmine, and clary sage, or scented candles – and nourish your body head to toe with the ultimate indulgence. Say no to plans and chores, have a relaxing bath, do a restorative skincare routine, put on a hair mask, and switch off from the outside world to enjoy some blissful moments!  

GET ENOUGH SLEEP  

During the hours we sleep, our body goes through a deep repair and restoration process that helps us to function properly. Getting enough sleep each night means our muscles, as well as our mind, can rest and recuperate, and everything can recharge and reset. For adults, 7-10 hours of sleep each night is recommended. Making this a focus in your life help enormously, from improving your skin and helping you to look younger, to improving energy, mood, and cognitive function to enhancing muscle recovery after tough workout sessions. Enough sleep enhances every part of our life, including reducing the risk of developing serious health conditions. Fall asleep faster, get better quality sleep, and wake up feeling refreshed with natural sleep enhancers to support your slumber. Develop a good night-time routine, switch off digital screens and if you need to, take sleep supplements to help you nod off.   

GET ENOUGH DAYLIGHT & CONNECT WITH NATURE & PEOPLE 

Half of the population is deficient in vitamin D. The best way to get more is by spending time outside in natural daylight. If you can wander in a green space like a park or countryside, even better. Nature scenes are proven to help you feel more relaxed. If you struggle to get outside, amp up your vitamin D levels with a vitamin D supplement. To further connect with nature, you could try earthing. “When your body directly touches the Earth, your entire being changes; both inside and outside. Studies show earthing calms our nervous system and help reduce stress and anxiety. Make a New Year’s intention to go barefoot on the Earth for at least 20 minutes, twice a day. If that’s too much, try for 10 minutes on your lunch break. It will quiet your inner talk and bring you back to the center of your being. You’ll be able to see the world, your life, and yourself in a whole new way,” suggests hypnotherapist and life coach, Kristine Ovsepian. Whilst we’re talking about connection, connect with friends and family. If you’re an introvert, you might find yourself putting this off or canceling plans, but when you do connect, you’ll be surprised at how good you feel. We’re social creatures and crave connection as much as solitude! It can also help you to feel less alone and in your own head.  

MOVE YOUR BODY  

Regular exercise has got endless benefits to your physical and mental long-term health. Just 30 minutes of moderate exercise 5 times a week can help you to lose weight, develop stronger muscles and joints (crucial as you get older), and release a natural high from those feel-good endorphins. It can help to alleviate anxiety and depression too. With regular exercise, your cardiovascular health is improved so you’re less likely to suffer from heart conditions. Some tips to get going and find motivation? Find an exercise you love. It doesn’t have to be hitting the treadmill. Walking, running, boxing, yoga, swimming, weight training, and dancing are all great ways to stay fit, and going to classes with other people can also boost your mood thanks to feeling part of a team with increased social interactions. Make yourself accountable by going with friends and family, and build into your routine. Make it easy for yourself to go. Join a class that’s on your route home, and record your achievements. 

NOURISH YOUR BODY WITH NUTRIENTS  

The secret to feeling good, especially your energy, mood, brain function, and immune system, is through your gut, and that means focusing on your nutrition and water intake. Follow the expert's advice, and try to eat a varied, well-balanced diet incorporating at least 30 different types of vegetables per week (to increase antioxidants) with plenty of protein, fiber, and carbohydrates with whole grains. Top-up any deficiencies (common ones include vitamin D, zinc, vitamin C, and magnesium) with supplements and include probiotics and prebiotics to assist your digestion for a healthy gut.  

DON’T SET UNREALISTIC GOALS  

With a new year comes pressure to reinvent yourself, but you don’t want to make things harder for yourself. If you want to set yourself goals, set 1-3 goals using the SMART framework. The goals must be specific, manageable, achievable, realistic, and timely. “Eat better” or “cut down on alcohol” aren’t specific enough. You’re setting yourself up for failure. Choose a deadline with a very specific goal, for example, “Eat 30 different types of fruit and vegetables by next Sunday” then track it with a tally chart. If you’re not tracking it, how can you see your progress? Secondly, if you fall off, don’t beat yourself up and quit. Instead, accept that you had a blip, and continue on the next day, or even reassess goals and work out whether they’re achievable for you right now. Alter them if you need to.  

HAVE A WELLBEING ROUTINE  

Whether you’re a morning or night person, creating a nourishing routine can enhance your mental health, by giving yourself time each day, to either wind-up or wind down. It’s about saving yourself a little bit of sacred time every day to dedicate to yourself. In the morning, avoid checking your phone first thing and letting the outside world into your rested, calm brain, and instead meditate, do yoga, journal or workout. If you’re more of a night owl or have trouble sleeping, it may be worth creating your ideal evening routine, which could also involve all those things, with a digital cut-off point being paramount. Yoga boosts your physical body, and is great for increasing flexibility and helping your body to feel younger for longer. Meditation will provide you with stillness and quiet time, while journaling can help you to empty and organize your thoughts, solve problems and deal with hard times or emotions. It can also help you to realize what you want. 

DANCE IT OUT  

Put on your favorite playlist and dance it out like no one is watching. Music can have a particular effect on the body that can change your whole mood. Move in whatever way feels good, loosen any tension and lose yourself in the moment. It might feel unnatural if you’ve never done it before, but trust us on this one. Try incorporating it into your wind-up or wind down routine, or if you’re feeling a little low, whack on your tunes and leave your inhibitions and ego at the door. 

 

 

Love The Story, Why Not Share It?

The model featured in this story is not associated with COSME Magazine and does not endorse it or the products shown.

Photography Marie Bärsch - Blaublut Edition.com | Model Nneoma Anosike

b

8 Feel-Good Wellbeing Rituals To Avoid The January Blues

Don't Miss

Butternut Squash & Black Bean Tostadas
Recipes

Butternut Squash & Black Bean Tostadas

Transition your nutrition into fall with this quick & healthy Mexican-inspired vegetarian lunch idea. 

Read more
Crunchy Apple Spiced Granola
Recipes

Crunchy Apple Spiced Granola

Spice up your breakfast with crunchy granola to serve with yogurt & fresh fruit. 

Read more
Hangover Cures: 7 Of The Best Natural Remedies That Actually Work
Mind & Body

Hangover Cures: 7 Of The Best Natural Remedies That Actually Work

POV: It’s the morning after the night before & you need hangover remedies fast. We’ve got you! 

Read more