Being cold and depressed needn't be your lot this winter.
True, Christmas is over (tiny sigh of relief) and it feels like there's hardly anything to look forward to, but it's actually quite freeing not having to enjoy yourself in a tradition-led way.
So much better to indulge in little treats that can be rationalised like this: 'It was wet and cold outside and I wanted a nice thing.'
Well here is a list of nice things you can see/buy/do.
I hope you find something on it that will warm you!
Cultivate a Glow.
The light in January is so flat and grey that bringing light to the face can only lift your mood. Pop into SpaceNK and they will be only too happy to dust you with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders – widely reputed to make you look like a Botticelli angel with a personal lighting crew.
Go to a Musical.
A musical is fail-safe fun, even if you hate musicals; I truly believe that. If it focuses on serious themes, and many do, how serious can you really get when there are song and dance intervals scattered throughout? The same goes if the themes are vapid. Even the most terrible musical is a spectacle. Being a Roald Dahl fan I still really want to see Matilda which is reportedly very un-terrible.
Create Warm Light.
Make a soft haven in your home from the cloud-filtered grey light outside. This sphere of glowing warmth from Habitat makes me feel cosy without even owning it, so imagine the glow your bedroom could have!
Read Merryn and Tabitha’s ‘Is It Worth It?’ series.
Merryn Somerset Webb is the Editor of MoneyWeek; Tabitha is a fashion designer. Two very different sisters give their take on how they spend and save their money. Funny and informative.
Get A Good Facial.
Now that the cold is finally beginning to bite, it is time to give your skin some love. A Cowshed facial would be my choice; with a home-from-home vibe and actual cake to enjoy, they’re cosy rather than clinical. Perfect for January.
Decide your Intention for the Year.
Now I know these hippie alternatives to good old resolutions are generally derided. But my advice would be to look back over the last year: focus on the positive, but acknowledge and learn from anything that didn’t go well too. Write a little list. After that, write goals for 2016. They don’t have to be concrete, they can be as vague as you like – they’re only for you.
Drink Tea.
Coffee is for the cool kid on the go, but tea has the real comfort factor. Winter is the time when you just need something hot and wet by your side at all times. Fortnum & Mason's is the original and best; if you were lucky you got a tin for Christmas, but it’s easy to order.
Get Yourself Some Bright Rugs and Cushions
Holly & Evie Etsy shop. Gorgeous, handmade, 100% British Lambswool soft furnishings. And free delivery until 31st January! Enter NEWYEAR at checkout. (We're not affiliated with them, their stuff is just really adorable).
Follow the ‘Diana Vreeland’ Twitter account.
Based on Diana Vreeland’s renowned ‘Why Don’t You…’ column in Vanity Fair, infamous for its ridiculously extravagant tips, this parody/tribute account takes the spirit of the column and gives ideas, often lavish and basically impossible. The effect is hilarious, and yet somehow genuinely inspiring. Delightfully, this suggestion was tweeted after I started writing this article: ‘why don't you ... create a list of pleasurable activities that you only indulge in on the gloomiest, coldest days of January?’ 10// Wear Colour! If you’re not on the bright green Edie bandwagon yet, we’d love to have you. Break out of the dark winter rut and step into the grass-green future. It will transform your mood – just add black suede boots and a cute jacket.
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