January Mental Wellness Month: Self Care After the Holidays

Being Mental Wellness Month, January gives you a chance for a fresh start for the new year. After the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it’s the perfect time to slow down, take a deep breath, and focus on prioritizing your mental health and evaluating areas in which you can grow. Whether you're recovering from holiday stress, dealing with post-holiday blues, or just want to do a reset after a busy few months, take time this month to really focus on yourself and your needs to set yourself up for success in the year ahead

Today, we’re discussing what January Mental Wellness Month is, common mental health challenges you may be facing after the holidays, and ways to practice self care after the holidays. There’s no singular way for taking care of your mental wellness, so take the time to learn about techniques like setting small, achievable goals, creating a cozy self-care space with a zero gravity chair, or volunteering to help others in need. This guide has plenty of ideas to nurture your mental health this January and throughout the year.

What Is January Mental Wellness Month?

January Mental Wellness Month is a time of the year dedicated to promoting awareness and understanding of mental health. It gives you the chance to evaluate your current mental wellness, see areas for improvement, and put plans into action to boost your mental health now and throughout the year. A healthy mind is an integral part of a holistic approach towards how to boost your mood and bolster your overall well-being.

In observing Mental Wellness Month, January sets the stage for new beginnings and continues to break down any erroneous stigma attached to mental health challenges. If you’re feeling the struggle post-holidays, you’re not alone. In fact, an estimated 46.6 million adults in the United States experience mental illness or struggles each year1. It’s an ideal time to initiate self care after the holidays and learn new ways to support better mental health.

Prioritizing mental wellness doesn’t end in January. Check out our guide for ideas for Mental Health Awareness Month after you finish this article to get even more ideas you can integrate into your routine all year long.

Challenges to Mental Health After the Holidays

Managing stress during the holidays can be a challenge. While the holiday season can be great, it’s a time when our schedules get bogged down with holiday events, family gatherings, work deadlines, school obligations, and so much more. Stress, burnout, and post-holiday blues are extremely common when it’s over and can leave you feeling drained and mentally exhausted. 

January Mental Wellness Month highlights common challenges after the holidays such as:

• Financial stress from holiday spending

• Emotional fatigue from a packed social calendar

• Feeling overwhelmed by expectations (real or perceived)

• Loneliness after family and friends leave

• Lack of motivation or feelings of isolation during winter days

• Burnout from work, life, and holiday responsibilities

Acknowledging these challenges is a positive step towards prioritizing self care after the holidays. Recognizing how you may be feeling the post-holiday effects, you can make a plan to tackle these feelings and set a positive tone for the new year.

Ways to Practice Self Care After the Holidays

Self care after the holidays recharges your mind and body after the end-of-year rush. Setting yourself up during January Mental Wellness Month helps with how to fix mental exhaustion now and in the long term. It’s a great way to start the new year off with clarity, energy, and a revitalized sense of positivity.

Some of the best ways to practice self care after the holidays are:

1. Make small goals for the new year

2. Spend time outdoors

3. Practice mindfulness for a mental health boost

4. Create a relaxing self care space with a recliner

5. Volunteer to help others

6. Start a new hobby

1. Make Small Goals for the New Year

Setting small, achievable goals can help you feel motivated without adding unnecessary pressure that can contribute to stress. Instead of overwhelming yourself with massive resolutions, break them down into more manageable tasks with realistic timelines throughout the year to hit milestones. You don’t have to achieve every change you want to make in the first month!

For example, if your goal is to be more active, start by dedicated time to do a 10-minute walk each day. These smaller milestones will build up your confidence and grow in momentum as you work towards larger size goals. 

2. Spend Time Outdoors

Speaking of being more active, spending more time outdoors is another great way to practice self care after the holidays beginning during January Mental Wellness Month. The colder temperatures and questionable weather may make it more challenging to spend large periods of time outside, but you can start small and build on that moving forward into the warmer months.

Even in winter, spending time outside will help improve your mood, reduce stress levels, and increase your energy. Bundle up in warm clothing and take a walk or jog at a nearby park, go for a winter hike, or even just get some fresh air sitting outside with a warm drink to start your day. Being outdoors has a calming effect that helps you reset and recharge.

Additional Info: How does physical activity improve mental health? Check out this guide next to learn more on why being active helps with self care after the holidays.

3. Practice Mindfulness for a Mental Health Boost

There’s no doubt that stress levels build up during the holidays. Whether it’s holiday events, a depleted social battery, or work stress, there’s a lot at the end of the year that can take its toll on your mental well-being. Practicing mindfulness as part of your January Mental Wellness Month activities is great for improving mental health and giving you a fresh perspective.

Mindfulness doesn't mean the absence of thoughts or feelings. Instead, it’s about observing your thoughts without judgment. It helps you stay present, reduce anxiety, and center your mind. You can start small with a few minutes of calming breathing exercises or a short guided meditation each day. Journaling is another mindfulness practice that’s easy to integrate into self care after the holidays.

4. Create a Relaxing Self Care Space With a Recliner

Alongside mindfulness is creating a space for yourself to relax and unwind. Choosing a zero gravity chair and using it daily does more than just help you be comfortable, it supports your mental and physical well-being, too. They’re designed to recline into the zero gravity position, which alleviates excess pressure on your lower back while distributing your body weight evenly. In this position, you may experience better blood circulation, back pain relief, and find yourself feeling more through relaxation. It’s ideal for combining other kinds of activities for self care after the holidays like mindfulness meditation.

To make your relaxation space even better, consider adding elements like soft lighting, soothing scents, and a cozy blanket. Your environment has a lot to contribute to your well-being. For Mental Wellness Month, January is the perfect time to refresh your space and make it ideal for your needs.

Read More: Curious to learn more about how zero gravity chairs positively impact your mental well-being? Learn more ways zero gravity recliners help improve mental health after this.

5. Volunteer to Help Others

Helping others can have a major positive impact on your mental health, as well. Volunteering can give you a sense of purpose and connection with your community. It’s a form of self care after the holidays that helps you counteract feeling lonely or burnt out while doing something nice for those in need. Whether it’s helping at a food bank, mentoring someone, or participating in community clean-ups, there’s always local opportunities to give back.

6. Start a New Hobby

Last, but not least, on our list of self care activities after the holidays to start during January Mental Wellness Month is starting a new hobby. This is a fun and exciting way to focus on yourself and learn something new. You can try painting, cooking, learning a musical instrument, or anything that brings you some joy. 

Hobbies give you a creative outlet and provide a source for relaxation. It also gives you something to look forward to, which makes it easier to stay motivated and positive during the winter months when that can be more challenging.

Focus on Yourself for January Mental Wellness Month

Taking care of your mental health and wellness is particularly important following the busy holiday season. Use the ideas for self care after the holidays you learned in this guide to set a positive start to the new year. January Mental Wellness Month is meant to show you that prioritizing yourself isn’t selfish, it’s healthy. When you’re doing the right thing for you, it makes it easier for you to do good for others.

Disclaimer: This content is not medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare professional when considering implementing changes to your health or workout routines to ensure it’s compatible with your needs.

Additional Sources

1. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness