January-itis

I'm honest about the fact that January is my least favorite month. It's long, well, feels longer than the other months. It's dreary and cold where I live, though this year has been oddly warm and snowless. I find myself depressed because I'm on a wind down from the holidays and I tend toward SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). While my goal for 2012 is to have a positive spin, gosh, January tests me every year.


Right now, I'm thrilled to be past the midway point. I can see the light at the end of January. People around here are saying winter is passing us over this year with temps up and down from 20's to 50's. There's still plenty of time for winter weather, I'm not falling into that frame of mind. 


To ease my dismal mood, I called my horse-friend. I hadn't talked to her in a few months. We've been friends for the past eight years, met when we were both working at a riding stable. Horses, and our animals, are our common denominator but we have other things in common too.We can pass an hour, easily, talking about our horses and animals. She tends to feel the same way I do in January, bluh. We talked about attending Equine Affaire in April. The crazy things our horses did the past few months. Information either of us may have acquired concerning horses, new trends, new clinicians, new ways of using our time with our horses. It's a good "visit" when you come away smiling and January doesn't feel so darn gray.


So, if you're like me and suffer from January-itis,the best advice I'd give is to find those things that make you forget how long January can feel. The things I've done include: phoned a friend, groomed my horses, watched the squirrels and birds take advantage of the buffet I've provided, taken short walks with my dogs outside, read an uplifting book, watched an uplifting movie or TV program (if you can find one). Also, remember, January is only thirty one days and by March, it will be a memory.