The holidays are long gone; the joy, the family gatherings and the stress-free mentality of having no homework are delights of the past. What comes next is Valentine’s Day, with its sweet song of both romantic and platonic love, allowing individuals to express their feelings to the people they care about. Right now, the northern hemisphere is stuck in an unwavering winter with low hopes, little sunlight and brown, mushy snow: January.
The doom and gloom that arrives in January is a combination of mood-killers: a decrease in sunlight or the change in hours that mess with the body’s internal clock can cause people to feel sluggish and worn down. Symptoms are often hibernation-like; individuals may experience excessive sleep and a craving for carbohydrates.
According to the National Institute of Health, “Winter blues” are fairly common and often clear up, but a more extreme version of this is seasonal affective disorder, SAD. The symptoms of SAD mimic those of depression with feelings of hopelessness, decreased energy and difficulty concentrating.
Winter blues or SAD are only amplified with New Year’s expectations and ever-growing standards to keep doing better. A broken New Year’s resolution brings feelings of shame and unworthiness that simply aren’t needed during the bleakest month of the year. While the joy of the holiday season makes going to the gym every day seem simple, it isn’t a realistic goal.
January is also the coldest month of the year in the Chicago-land area, so students attempting to have fun find it difficult to even leave the house in sub-zero temperatures and harsh, freezing snow. It’s an awkward stage and a low point between the great months of December and February.
December’s popularity is obvious; it’s the beginning of many major holidays and winter break for most students. February offers a sense of relief with Valentine’s Day and even Groundhog Day, a hope that the enduring winter will finally come to an end. These months bring hope and a sense of belonging during winter, allowing people to come together despite the unfavorable weather.
And then there’s January. New Year’s Day is the only thing January has going for it, and people don’t even celebrate it on the day; they celebrate it the night before on Dec. 31. After that, people are forced to wallow and wait until the next big thing comes along.
More than anything, January feels like a 31-day-long Monday that is only significant because it’s the first month. Being right after the weekend, Mondays are dreaded because they signify returning to school or work; January creates the same feeling because it’s right after a long-deserved winter break. Coming back to school felt like a punch in the gut after experiencing two weeks of ignorant, lazy bliss that allowed waking up past breakfast time.
January may be the first month of the year, but it doesn’t live up to the reputation of renewal and fresh starts. So while people may find joy in being together with loved ones, going out on the town or even indulging in time at home, these activities are only an escape from the month I rank in twelfth place: January.
