The third Monday in January is also known as Blue Monday, and apparently is the most depressed day of the year. And bonus, it’s followed by 1/19, deemed Quitters Day by Strava as the day most people stop their resolutions. Insert Sad Trombone Here. It’s the week most people quit their resolutions because it’s just far away enough from the holidays that the warm fuzzy glow is gone and real life is back… and the winter doldrums are very, very real.
So, if you’re finding yourself in a bit of a funk as the shiny new year vibes fade and the trainer becomes less and less appealing, I’m hoping these few suggestions help put you back on track:
Journalling
Journalling about it and putting my grumpy points in perspective helped. Actually listing them out on paper instantly made them seem a little less stressful than when they were swirling around in my head. It also helped me figure out a couple of practical solutions or next action steps to take. To me, this is the most important step since it usually solves most of the problems just by getting them out of your head.
Being proactive
Dan John said it on our podcast: being proactive is the best way to be. And in my case on the Monday when I drafted this, that was certainly true. While some of my solutions to my litany of problems weren’t immediately actionable, there were a couple I could instantly tackle:
- Headache? Check the usual things—like hydrating. Which I definitely hadn’t been doing well for the last day. Drank some water, headache eased up a bit.
- Dental issues? Called the dentist and asked for a check-in vs waiting for my next appointment. Got in later that day. (Still a saga, but at least I was able to rule out anything truly problematic)
But don’t be reactive
The other side of the proactive coin is reactivity, and this is where I often mess up. We have a tendency to want to solve problems ASAP, which is a great trait some of the time, but can come back to bite you. Often, being reactive can seem like it’s being proactive, when in reality, pausing for a beat is the better solution. (This is a common thing in training too—how often have you chucked out a whole workout simply because one interval felt crappy, rather than refocusing and doing the best you could?)
Take a pause
I’ve been skipping meditation for the last few weeks because we’ve been at my parents, which means I’m skipping all extras in favor of family time. Yesterday, I got back to it, and I’m so glad I did. It was just for a few minutes, but it settled my system down in a big way. The same applies for getting out for a walk—especially if your stress is largely related to issues happening on your computer screen!
Refocus
Yesterday might be the day most people leave resolutions behind, but for me, it was a reminder of my old one-word resolution to be more Intentional with everything I’m doing. I’ve definitely already slipped up on that, but bringing it back to the forefront reminded me to focus on what I could control and lean into.
Do something
What’s the minimum viable option for your goals? Especially if you’re reading this because it’s Quitters day and you want to skip your ride or run… just do something that keeps you from ‘technically’ breaking your streak, even if it’s a 10 minute walk or 5 minutes spin. See how you feel tomorrow—often, getting through that first day of ‘I don’t wanna’s’ is the hardest part.
You’ve got this!
