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Craft to Beat the January Blues

3 Crafty Tips to make January a bit easier on you

 Now that the festive season is over, we still face two-thirds of Winter to get through. By comparison, January seems like the anti-climactic end of Winter. The lights are gone. Our social lives are, basically, non-existent. Everything that makes Winter magical and happy in December is basically gone by January 2nd, and our entire demeanour changes. So, what can we do to combat our low mood in January?

Let me show you some crafty tips to combat the January blues.

**Disclaimer: None of my suggestions can be used as therapy. If you are suffering from depression, anxiety or any other mental illness, please, get professional medical help.**

 

Identify Your Feelings and Issues

Journal to identify issues and causes of low mood assoiciated with January blues


Of course, January is the polar opposite of the festive season. But the low mood can have different and multiple origins. They may not always be clear because numerous issues melt into one big block of low mood. Untangling this block takes a bit of effort.

Crafting can give you space to practice mindfulness. Why not journal for a week and identify what impacts your mood most. Bullet Journaling is an excellent technique to capture your personal feelings and thoughts and visualise them. Based on my bullet journal, I create a focal point every week to establish my day-to-day and give me perspective.

Many crafts also enable mindfulness. Whether you make jewellery or crochet, knit or paint, why not use your time for yourself and ponder over your emotional needs. Are you feeling unproductive? The process of creating and finishing a project can be just the thing to give you a lift.

 

Try Something New

try a new craft to beat the january blues


When we are tired and low emotionally, it is easy and all too tempting to just keep doing what we always do. While it is not wrong, why not induce some excitement by trying something new. It doesn’t have to be a new craft. Sometimes just pushing yourself to make something you wouldn’t usually make is enough. If you knit hats, why not knit a jumper or a pair of socks. Add some colour to your crafts or redecorate your home by crafting new decor and furniture.

The objective of this exercise is to keep your mind active. Learning to do something new diverts our attention from negative thoughts towards something productive. Mastering the new skill gives you a confidence boost early in the year. While generally being creative reduces stress and symptoms of depression.

As a result, you can look at your finished product and your learning curve and focus on what you achieved rather than the things you temporarily missed.

 

Be Social

be social while you craft you can even use video conferencing to not feel alone in January


January is not the most inviting month to go out. But are you feeling lonely now? While we are out and about in December visiting family and friends, come January, we stop. It is almost like in January, we choose to isolate ourselves when it is actually the last thing we should do. Our social engagement is down, and more than in any other month, we are retreating to our sofas binge-watching TV.

Here is the beautiful thing about crafting. You can choose to do it alone or in a group. I visited the local yarn shop when I moved town and scouted for knit and natter groups. Those open for new people to join usually leave a Flyer in the yarn shop, and shop assistants generally know their clients very well and can direct you. Some more technically minded groups moved on to Zoom or other Conferencing Apps throughout the pandemic. My friends and I meet on Zoom once a month or even fortnightly for a craft and natter evening. It has been a virtual stronghold to cope with the loneliness many of us experienced during the Lockdowns.

 

There are many crafty things we can do to combat the January blues. What are you doing in the coming weeks, and what project are you currently working on.

Let me know in the comments, and feel free to share your project on Instagram. Tag me, @annascraftjournal.

Are you looking for a new project? Why not check out some of my idea posts here.

 

See you next time

Anna x