As the dust settles from the parties, crowds, and busyness of the holidays, we want to take this opportunity to do a check-in with our patients and their families. Let’s face it – January can be a difficult month. The weather gets cooler (even in sunny Arizona), visiting loved ones have returned home, and work and school are back the normal day-in-day-out. Also, aside from Valentine’s Day, there’s a holiday dry spell for a few months. And those lofty New Year’s resolutions? Let’s not even go there.
So if you’re feeling a little down during these first few weeks of 2024, know that you’re not imagining it and you’re not alone. We’ve all been there! However, January can also provide a great opportunity for some self-care and personal growth (well-intentioned resolutions aside). We want to provide some fresh perspective on how to approach these last weeks of January 2024, and maybe help you turn them from doldrums to delightful.
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Reset your big-picture goals
January is a great time to meditate on how different aspects of your life are now, and how you’d like to grow them. Does your calendar reflect your ideal priorities? Are you prioritizing quality time with people you care about? Are you making time for your most-loved hobbies and activities? Has your career path to a certain goal gotten derailed somewhere along the way? Draw on your successes and challenges from the last few years to reset your sights on where you’d like you and your family to be in 2024.
And when establishing your big-picture goals, don’t forget to include a plan for catching up on, or staying current with, your needed health exams, tests, and procedures. January is a perfect time to schedule the appointments you may have postponed in light of the holiday hustle and bustle. It can feel overwhelming try and tackle them all at once, so your team Fountain Hills Medical Center suggests holding yourself to scheduling one item per week until you’re all caught up. For all your health appointments in Fountain Hills, our medical team is ready to help you address all your health concerns and issues.
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Plan a party
A January shin-dig? Why not? You can bet that some of your friends are experiencing their own doldrums right about now, which makes January a great time to plan a fun and surprising get-together. Maybe a game night, or self-care session, or an MLK Day brunch is just what’s needed to help you focus your mind on future fun to be had.
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Detox from the digital
Do the shorter days cause you to turn to scrolling social media and streaming endless shows every evening, all evening? This extra phone time isn’t so innocent; the time you spend on your screen can contribute to poor self-esteem, decreased physical activity, anxiety, depression, sleep issues, and other problems. Taking an intentional break from your devices can help you to feel more mindful and aware, more productive, and more content.
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Speaking of being mindful . . .
If there was ever a time to start a meditation, prayer, or mindfulness practice, it’s now. Again, start small. Simply devote five to ten minutes per day to a meditative practice that works best for you. After a few days in a row, we predict you’ll start looking forward to this special kind of “you time,” and may even start increasing the time of your daily practice. The benefits of this are numerous, and can include decreased anxiety and depression, better sleep, and even improved health conditions.
Don’t let January get you down; this month can be a nourishing time of growth, self-discovery, and peace. However, if your feelings of “blah” seem to extend beyond what our above suggestions can help, please come see us. For mental health needs in Arizona, we can help connect you with the right therapies, medications, and other coping techniques. We look forward to a healthy 2024 with our wonderful patients, and want to make sure your physical and mental health are at their best.
