January Blues!!

It is almost towards the end of this very cold or hot month (depending on your geographical location in this sphere). I have been very keen to notice one interesting global phenomenon: It is the Zombie month!!! (And I thought Halloween was over!! Hahahahaaa!). You would not be very wrong to think you are in an actual reality show of the ‘walking dead’.

People suddenly seem to be on some auto-pilot, walking with sombre, washed out faces, lugubrious looking styles, and a long sagging chin. It seems like someone they all loved just died and they are in a long mourning mood. Irrespective of the area one is in, the happy rush hour and the bevy of chores just got terminated. All are now fired!! Dear me, what is happening to humanity???

JANUARY BLUES???

So I gathered. I had never heard of this phenomenon till very recently. There is even a day set out in January named after this condition, Blue Monday, the third Monday of January. Why is the most depressing day of the year celebrated? I wonder. Apart from the rather depressing weather in the northern hemisphere, so many other factors contribute to this Zombie season and the celebration of depression.

The first one is the receipt of the banks’ statements, reminding you it is time to pay the debt you incurred during Christmas season while buying gifts no one cared about, or if they cared, it is long forgotten. These debts are often uncalled for but in the effort of trying to keep up with the Jones’s, people rush like bees from the hives to buying ‘stuff’ for others. Most of this stuff is absolutely useless, and expensive. It is time to kill this habit if you want to survive the Zombie January. And please stop blaming others for the perils of your actions. You can always limit your expenditure to what you have in liquid cash rather than borrow and pay later.

Resolutions: At this point it is clear whether the new year resolutions you set are on course or not. Some people set very ambitious goals at the turn of the year only to fall by the wayside two weeks later. This is depressing and demotivating. It were better to not even set those goals. However in the spirit of renewal, setting realistic goals, and dividing them in small monthly bites, would help avoid depression in week three of the year.

Some couples are also at loggerheads over financial issues. “This debt has to be paid before that debt… you promised me it would be… ” and the accusations are endless. No wonder everybody is down-low. To avoid conflict in January, plan together with your spouse the budget for Christmas season. Discuss in detail, the events, the give-aways and visits, to the letter. Avoid using credit cards at this time, because the urge to overspend is always higher during Christmas. If possible, you can both save up in advance.

Another Depression buster is to hit the gym. Squeeze in at least 30 minutes a day to activate those ‘feel-good’ hormones. If the gym is not your piece of cake, trying going for a walk or, visiting some nature trails in your neighbourhood. Avoid indulging in unnecessarily expensive activities when on a recovery road.

Ultimately, it is always prudent to plan ahead. Plan for your holidays, plan your expenses, save up, save some more, and monitor your biggest expenses. Remember, failing to plan is planning to fail.