January may be the month of new beginnings, but it can also be a tough time for students. After spending time with loved ones over the festive break, you might feel a bit down. But is it a regular low mood, or could it be a case of the January blues?
As isolating as it might feel, January blues are common. It could play out as a lack of motivation, loneliness, or sadness, all of which can affect university students’ mental health. But there are ways to manage it a little better. From exercise to New Years’ Resolutions, discover how to beat the January blues and look forward to the year ahead.
What are January Blues?
Cold weather, short days and leaving the familiarity and comfort of home to return to uni after the winter break can get you down. If your mood feels lower than usual during this period, it could be related to January blues (or winter blues). This can present feelings of sadness, low mood, lack of motivation, tiredness, anxiety, low energy and more.
While it might sound like a myth, there’s actually scientific evidence that suggests the season can affect our moods. This is known as seasonal affective disorder.
What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?
Winter blues are exactly as they sound – sadness or a low mood during the cold, dark winter months. But the medical term for this is seasonal affective disorder, or SAD for short.
It’s believed that these episodes during winter are related to the way the body reacts to daylight. When sunlight enters the eyes, hormone levels change in the body. That light works to stop the production of the sleep hormone melatonin, helping us to wake up.
So, with shorter daylight hours in the winter, SAD sufferers are likely to feel the effects during this period. The body produces higher melatonin, which causes lethargy and symptoms of depression. If you’re going through winter blues, chances are the lack of daylight is probably playing a part.
8 top tips for beating the January Blues
January isn’t all doom and gloom – we promise! In fact, this month brings new opportunities and a fresh perspective for the year ahead. It’s also a time to get back into routine (motivation can come later) and try something new.
Mental health is important for students while you’re at uni. Here are some tips to help improve your mood during those wintery blues:
Set realistic New Years’ Resolutions
New Years’ resolutions are a great way to gear yourself up for the year ahead, but don’t go overboard! Many people fall into the trap of setting too many or unrealistic resolutions and end up feeling unhappy when they can’t fulfil them.
Setting goals is important for university students’ mental health. But you also want to make sure they’re measurable. Avoid difficult and vague resolutions like ‘save money’ and ‘be more organised’. Focus on realistic ones instead, like joining a society by February. Stuck on what to choose?
Eat healthy
Raiding the fridge and cupboards for greasy foods and sugary snacks during the cold months – we’ve all been there. But overindulging can lead to sugar crashes, which can cause tiredness and make you crave even more food.
A balanced, healthy diet will not only give you more energy, but it will also promote good mental health. Eating plenty of fresh fruit, veg, and the ‘sunshine vitamin’, vitamin D can help to banish the winter blues.
Exercise
Gym might be the last thing on your mind when you’re feeling low, but regular exercise has been proven to reduce stress. It can also release endorphins – the happy hormone - helping to reduce seasonal affective disorder.
It doesn’t have to be intense either! Moderate stretches, a walk on the treadmill or gentle activities like yoga can do the trick. And you won’t need to travel far – most Unite Students properties have a host of gym facilities available for students.
Make time for hobbies and interests
It’s important to take your mind off the looming deadlines every once in a while, and do things you enjoy. Switching off from your studies will allow for a healthy work and life balance, and make sure that you’re not overwhelmed with assignments.
Watching a movie, playing a game or losing yourself in a book – anything can help you to de-stress and keep the January blues at bay. You could even join (or rejoin) a society to connect with students who share similar interests.
Get plenty of sleep
It’s probably been drummed into your head that you need at least seven hours of sleep every night. And that’s more or less true. Lack of sleep can negatively impact your mental health and leave you feeling anxious, worried and irritable.
Staring at your TV or phone screen all night doesn’t help either. Reduce the screen time in the evenings to let your brain switch off and allow for good quality sleep. Not only is sleep beneficial for our brains, but it’s also standard to sleep more in the winter. Win-win!
Plan things to look forward to
Whether it’s a summer trip or a weekend night out, planning ahead can help you get reinvigorated. It can also help to beat the seasonal affective disorder, as you’ll have something to look forward to. If it’s some self-care you’re after, book a spa retreat for the day and pamper yourself.
Spend time with friends
It’s normal to feel homesick at university after the winter break. However, the new year is a great time to reach out to friends that you haven’t seen in that time. Why not see if they’re around to watch a movie, attend an event, or even study together?
With January blues causing feelings of loneliness and affecting the mental health of students, it’s important to foster the friendships you’ve built so far. You may even make new friends at uni by attending societies and going out to social events.
Seek professional help
Sometimes January blues can be more than feeling down. If the feeling doesn’t subside, it can help to visit your local GP instead. They will be able to assess you and offer some expert advice to put your mind at ease.
You could also get mental health support at university, which should be accessible via their official website.
Our Support For You page has links to lots of resources that can help if you’re struggling with your mental health.
If you're a Unite Students resident, you can access free confidential support through the Health Assured app to support you during your time at University. Health Assured offer a range of support via the app, including but not limited to, physical and mental wellbeing, debt, relationships and student life. You can always contact their Student Wellbeing Helpline which is open 24/7 here.
