It's the start of a New Year and now that the festive season is over many of us are back at work, or will be very soon. No doubt some people will be regretting over-indulging on chocolates, alcohol and rich food. So January is when we start to get back to normal. But for some people, after the bright lights, parties and excesses of the festive season, January can feel like the most miserable month of the year.
Don't let the January doom and gloom get you down. There are lots of things you can do to cheer yourself up and feel more positive about the new year. And I've got a few top tips to help us all beat the January blues.
Write a list
You know me, I am an avid list-maker - any excuse and I'm writing a list. I feel a sense of achievement working through and crossing off even the smallest tasks. Better still when I complete more time-consuming activities, such as writing the Hot Tubs blogs and your monthly newsletter. Now is your chance to sit down and make a list of things you want to do, places to go or even personal lifestyle changes you want to make. Include days out that you can enjoy with good friends and family, but make sure to include some quality 'me time'.
Banish the Blues
Here are a few of my ideas on how you can brush away the moody blues and make January one of your favourite months.
Clear the decs - there's nothing better than a bit of early spring-cleaning for re-energising and refocussing the mind. When you have boxed up all the Christmas decorations and taken the cards and paper to the recycling, apart from the rooms looking bare they have probably also gathered a lot of dust. Give the house a good clean from top to bottom, then stand back and admire your handiwork. Nothing makes me feel happier than a bright and shiny kitchen. And when the winter sun makes even the briefest appearance, the house looks so much brighter.
Declutter - hold onto those tidy thoughts and start decluttering, room by room. Make sure you start and finish a room before moving onto the next. The key points with this activity are - do not get distracted and give yourself enough time to go through everything. Bin the broken stuff and donate anything you haven't used since you moved to France to a charity shop. Don't do what I did and move unused items into the barn with the plan to sell them at the next brocante. I ended up with a barn full of boxes instead of a house full and after 12 months took them all to a charity shop.
Get minted - if you don't like giving things away, why not set up a free account on Vinted and make a bit of money from your decluttering? Clothes, shoes, children's toys, homeware - almost anything goes as long as the price is right. It could be a nice little earner, and leads nicely on to my next top tip.
Plan a holiday - when was the last time you had a real holiday? If like us you go back to the UK to visit family and friends then you'll know that isn't always a very restful or relaxing time, especially if the people you want to see live in different part of the country. So I'm talking about a proper holiday, rest, relaxation and recharging your batteries. Something to plan together and look forward too.
Date nights - put a date in the diary for catch up with friends, family or a loved one and make it a special event. Call up a friend you haven't seen in a while and have a good old chinwag. There's nothing better than seeing a friendly face and catching up on old times, new lives and all the gossip!
Be different
New year, new you? Lots of people make New Year Resolutions and break them before the end of January. So instead of full on lifestyle changes, like getting fit or losing weight, why not just try something new? Buy a new book, test out a new recipe, or treat yourself to some new pyjamas and have a cosy night in. Got a hot tub? Then buy yourself a lovely warm fleecy robe to wear before and after your luxury bathing experience.
When it's cold out it's so easy to turn to comfort eating, so instead of reaching for the biscuits, revisit your favourite book and curl up with it in front of the log-burner. Or snuggle up together and watch your favourite film.
Do something fun
Don't just work hard, have some fun as well. Make a list of what you need to get done and when you have ticked everything off do something fun to reward yourself. This is one of my favourite lists because although I add a few tedious tasks to it, I also make sure I have added my 'Reward' right at the top of the page.
One of the items on my list this year is redesigning the garden. This might sound like a major task, but my part in it is just to draw out the design. Tim then has the unenviable task of bringing my design to life. Whereas some people might just plan a new flower bed, a big part of my design is to decide on the best location for the new wood-fired sauna. It will be arriving in the next few weeks, and as our demo sauna for Hot Tubs HQ Open Days or private viewings, it needs to be in the perfect place. And what is my Reward for completing this new list? You'll find out in the next blog....
Reduce Stress
If you are planning a garden makeover, don't forget to include your own private sanctuary, including a wood-fired hot tub and sauna. Together or separately they are great ways to reduce stress. At the end of a busy day, even in the winter months, there's nothing better than relaxing in the warm bubbling hot tub water. But I'm now looking forward to real-life reporting on the stress-relieving properties of sauna therapy as well.
Back to work
And now it's back to business for us after a couple of weeks off. Delivery planning, following up on a several hot tub and sauna enquiries and waiting for updates on our next delivery. It doesn't take us long to get back into work-mode. In the next few weeks we also plan to hold another Open Day, so watch this space.
You will have seen in our last newsletter that for the first quarter of the year, we will be donating an amount from each new order to the Hope Association. Hope is based in southwest France and they raise money through their charity shops, donations and events which is then distributed to local animal charities. So it's a cause that is very close to our hearts. Which reminds me, I need to get on with my decluttering, take several boxes to the charity shop and a few to the dechetterie before I can kickback and relax. Happy New Year & Happy Hot Tubbing!
To contact Hot Tubs In France call direct on 0749 19 46 84
or email hottubsinfrance@gmail.com