How To Lift The January Blues
Many of us face “the January blues” once the magic of Christmas and New Year’s Eve is over. The days are short and (often drizzly) which means that there aren’t a lot of outdoor activities to enjoy. Tuning in with the seasons helps lift our mental and physical health and as we embrace staying indoors until the warmer season returns, this journal entry should help to lift your spirits and warm the soul during the longest month of the year. Here are some unique ideas that may even turn into a new annual tradition, that you can look forward to each year!
Let’s start with cosy home decorations.
Decorate The Home With Bare Glow Up Trees
During the winter months, your home is your sanctuary and the place that you’ll want to hibernate in until spring time comes around. Once your Christmas decorations are down and you’ve had a good clean, enhance your home with some beautiful wintry touches (minus the festive theme)
The epitome of winter is a bare tree, which can often be beautiful to look at, especially when decorated with twinkly fairy lights, so fill any empty corners in the home with a beautiful and elegant “bare tree” decoration. This clever little idea instantly lifts the mood and creates such a cosy vibe. Or better yet, why not forage for your own sprigs and add some fairy lights to them? This example by Carol of @simplyhouseandhome is just superb. Carol has created a display of decorative sparse branches, interlaced with foliage and the gentle twinkle of fairy lights, which is beautifully placed in the corner of her kitchen. For the base, she has chosen one of our log baskets, to add even more rustic texture to her space.
Wintry Fireplace Inspiration
Replace the Christmas fireplace mantlepiece with a charming garland without the festive cheer. Choose an elegant garland that is inspired by a wild winter forest and add your own touches like some artificial snowdrops or pine cones, then complete the look with a tall candle at each end of the fireplace.
Pour yourself a hot cup of coffee, throw a log from your log basket into the fire and enjoy snuggling up in front of a crackling log fire, whilst looking at your gorgeous, whimsical fireplace.
Photo credit to: Sarah Copestake
Wintry Coffee Table Centrepiece
This simple technique is so easy and looks so charming on any table. First choose a storage basket you have at home, which you can fill up with seasonal accessories. Simply fill it with lots of pine cones, sprigs of eucalyptus and baby’s breath for elegance. Complete by wrapping around a wintry garland or wreath around the storage basket and add in some tealight holders amongst the greenery. It is such a simple, yet gorgeous accessory that enhances wintry rustic charm to any table. Check out our mood board below to give you some inspiration. Our Grey & Buff Rattan Oval Basket or our Rectangular Grey & Buff Rattan Storage Basket from our collection of storage baskets, are both perfect for this kind of look.
Here are two beautiful examples of how to create this look. On the left Helen, of @my.victorian.house on Instagram, has chosen one of our storage baskets as a base for a planter and has filled it with moss and hyacinth bulbs, which will bloom into a bright and beautiful spring display. On the right Emma of @emmapiercechildrensyoga has created a similar style with a planter from our new collection of Shallow Rattan Planters. Our Grey & Buff Rattan Shallow Planters are complete with a plastic lining, making it easier to create her gorgeous woodland display of hyacinth bulbs, moss, minitaure pinecones and petite candles for extra charm.
January Self-Care routines
Now that your home has the perfect, fresh and cosy touches to last up until spring, it’s time for some self-care. When the weather outside is dark and cold, it’s the perfect time to slow down and enjoy the little comforts. Run a bath, sprinkled with bath salts and the bath bomb you got for Christmas, then light some candles. Next, make yourself an invigorating cup of herbal tea, to enjoy whilst sinking into your indulgent bath, and add a face and hair mask to complete your pamper session. Afterwards, slip into your favourite fluffy dressing gown or pyjamas, whilst watching a great feel-good film such as Sex In The City.
Make a January “Just because” gift
To cheer up a friend who may also be facing the January blues why not purchase them a hamper basket and treat them to some self-care too! Fill up a hamper basket with a bath bomb, a facemask, a candle, slippers and teabag infused with lavender to put a smile on their face during this particularly mundane season.
You can even tailor their gift in their favourite colour, using accessories from our selection of hamper shred, gift bows and gift tags.
Drink Pine Needle Tea In Winter
Finally, in the winter time, daylight is more important than ever. With limited sunlight exposure, we tend to begin to feel tired and a little run down, so try to get out on as many dry days as possible, even if it’s just for a 15-minute walk on your lunch break. In previous years, eating and consuming natures gifts, helped protect our immune systems against whatever winter would throw at us. One of the things that is great for our health but often forgotten about, is pine needle tea. Pine needles are extremely rich in vitamins C and A, to provide nutrients through the winter months, plus it is said that pine needle tea has been used to ease congestion and alleviate sore throats.
To make this, simply take your foraged pine needles and wash them. Bring your pot to a boil and infuse them in water for 5 minutes. Then sieve into a cup. Enjoy the fresh piney taste of winter, whilst enjoying all those natural benefits that the earth has provided to us.
*This drink must not be enjoyed by pregnant women and ensure thorough research is made when foraging for pine needles, not to be confused with a yew tree (which is poisonous)
Whilst you’re there, inhale the natural fresh air and recognise the beauty in natures wonders during this time of year.
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