How to Beat January Blues as a Student

January has to be one of the worst months of the year, right?

The fun and festivities of Christmas and New Year are over, you’re back at uni with exams and coursework looming, and the cold wintry weather and dark evenings just seem to never end.

Thanks, but no thanks…

It can be really hard to motivate yourself, especially after the Christmas break, so just how exactly can you get yourself back into the swing of things?

Check out our suggestions for beating January blues as a student below for some inspiration!

1. Eat, sleep, and stay active

The three most obvious ways to beat the January blues are to cook and eat healthy meals, sleep for at least eight hours a night, and treat yourself to at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day. Look after your body, people!

2. Get organised

Organisation is key to being productive, and if you’re struggling to get your head back into your uni workload, why not make a plan of action for the year ahead?

Planning what you want to achieve and get done each day can help motivate you to get the work done, and you’ll also feel a sense of achievement once you’ve completed it and ticked it off your list.  

It can also help you stick to a schedule and not underdo or overdo it.

3. Set realistic expectations

At first glance, that pile of coursework and revision might look daunting, leading you to think that you’re going to have to pull a few all-nighters to get through everything (is anyone else already getting horrible flashbacks?).

Things can often look worse than they are, and by breaking down your tasks and setting realistic expectations, you can map out your progress and also reassure yourself that you’re on track with your work.

You might not need to cram that whole module in one night, when actually you can split it over a couple of days! This should help to reduce stress and also increase productivity.

4. Make time for you

Next on our list of how to beat the January blues for students is to make time for yourself. The thought of being stressed out, overworked, and consumed by uni work might put you off wanting to start it, but there’s no reason why you can’t take some time for yourself and get your work done too. 

Why not give yourself the evenings off, block out at least one day a week to have a film day in bed, or spend some quality time with your housemates?

Having something to look forward to can also help motivate you to get started and make everything feel less doom and gloom!

5. Change up your study space

You might be looking at your desk with disgust, already associating it with the stress of last semester when you worked from home.

A change of scenery may be needed, and short breaks outside in the sunlight will also help beat those January blues.

Whilst you may not be able to move your desk, redecorating your study space can make all the difference. Who doesn’t love buying new stationery? Or maybe that’s just us… 

A bit of retail therapy never hurt anyone, though.

6. Reflect on your last semester

It might be useful to think back to the work you did last semester, and reflect on what you felt went well and what didn’t. Do you regret trying to write a whole essay in one night? That might be something to avoid doing again!

Making changes to ensure you avoid any mistakes you made last time around is key to ensuring everything is smooth sailing.

7. Find a new purpose

Beat the January blues by giving yourself a wholesome goal or new purpose, such as becoming an eco-friendlier person. Not only can environmentally friendly practices save you some money and help you budget, but they can also help save our planet.

Simple changes like batch cooking and lowering your energy and water consumption can make all the difference.

8. Participate in interests outside of university

University might feel like it’s your whole life, but it’s important to remember it’s not. Whilst your workload might feel suffocating, our next way for students to beat January blues is to make sure you continue pursuing your hobbies and interests.

Having something else to also focus on can help make the work-life balance feel a lot more manageable, especially if it’s something you enjoy doing. 

9. Ask for help

Remember – you’re never alone. Whether you want to reach out to family or friends or talk to someone more privately at your university, there’s always help to be given when it comes to beating the January blues.

The majority of universities have a mental health service for students to access for free at any point during their studies, whilst Student Minds is also open to all students. Make use of what’s available to you and don’t suffer alone.

10. Get your bills sorted for next year

Sorting your utility bills out isn’t the most exciting task, but it’s got to be done – and can make you productive this January. Once you’ve found your second-year house, you’ll want to sort out your suppliers for energy, water, broadband, and more – or allow Split The Bills to take care of this for you in one neat package.

How Split The Bills can help

It’s always a tricky one coming back to university in January. Christmas is such a relaxed and joyful time; the contrast can be frankly off-putting. By taking inspiration from our student tips for beating January blues, hopefully you’ll be back into the swing of things in no time at all, and powering on through your workload.

Once you have some more headspace, why not consider getting your bills for next year sorted with Split The Bills? You can find out more about our shared student bill packages or how they work for more information.

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