Did you know that January is considered the most depressing month of the year? I’ve always thought of January being a wonderful month for new beginnings, optimism, and creating impacting goals for the year. But I suppose for others, it’s a month of disappointment because life might not be treating you the way you hoped or planned for; resolutions are broken within weeks, or the high of the holidays are gone. This year, I can definitely see how the January blues is possible. (You can read why at the bottom of this post.) I thought I would share 5 ways you can beat the January blues- it’s definitely helped me!

1. Declutter Your Space

This may seem daunting, but conquer one little area at a time. I usually start with my desk or workspace because it’s where I spend the most of my day.

Picture Via "They All Hate Us" — Picture Via “They All Hate Us”

2.Start Now

It’s never too late! Don’t give up on those resolutions + goals that you’ve think you’ve failed on. Start again, or make a NEW list- or better yet, don’t make a list at all! Something as simple as starting with writing one goal on a post-it and sticking it somewhere (such as your bathroom mirror) to keep you motivated as a reminder.

Hustle download from Desiglovefest — Picture via “DesignLoveFest”

PS: You can download the picture above for free as a Desktop Picture or Phone Wallpaper HERE.

3. Try Something New

A workout class, new recipe or even a DIY tutorial online! You don’t have to have big budget to try something new. Think of what makes you happy and what you love, and see if there is a local workshop or class that you can attend- maybe you will meet a new friend or two!

Picture Via "DesignLoveFest" — Picture Via “DesignLoveFest”

PS: You can download the picture above for free as a Desktop Picture or Phone Wallpaper HERE.

4. Clean Out Emails + Unsubscribe

This is self explanatory. Take 30 minutes. I promise you will feel SO MUCH better.

5. Stop and Smell the Roses

Sometimes I get all caught up in what’s going wrong and forget about what is going right. Taking 15 minutes out of your day to take a brisk walk outdoors {without your phone or music} really helps to put things into perspective, take some deep breathes and inhale the fresh air. There is always something we can be thankful for!

Photo Via "House That Lars Built" — Photo Via “The House That Lars Built”

One of my goals for this year is to be more authentic with you. There are a lot of misconceptions throughout all platforms of social media that a blogger’s life is perfect. But the truth is this: no life is ever perfect, no matter how beautiful someone’s Instagram profile may be. Comparing these “lives” to your own will only lead to disappointment – be proud of you and your walk in life.

It takes a lot of editing, work and planning to generate a blog post, and it doesn’t reflect reality. A perfect example: my last two weeks. None of you would have guessed from the looks of my Instagram profile that the septic tank exploded in my house (within days of returning to LA), which forced me to evacuate. Naturally, I moved back in, only to discover that 3 days later I live in a flood zone and was flooded out of my house and had to evacuate for the second time. To add to the chaos, I had a puncture in one of my tires and huge nail in the other, leaving me car-less for 3 days (which is like a month when you’re in LA). I’m not complaining, I just want you to know that I have bad days too- and that’s why I’ve been a bit MIA (no not Miami, but missing in action) lately.

Thank you all for reading and always supporting me! I read every single one of your comments on social media and am touched by all of your kind words. Cheers to a better 2017! Let’s make this year the best one yet!