January blues: Why the first month of the year sucks

Every month is attached to a specific season, occasion, or feeling that makes it special.

From the first blossoms of spring in March to April showers, or May flowers. The summer season makes us recall long nights in the middle of June, July’s endless beach and barbecue days, and the end of summer nostalgia in August.

September’s back-to-school hauls, spooky October, spooky season in October, winter preparation in November, and December’s pure Christmas magic. There’s something to look forward to in these months.

However, the worst month of the year has nothing memorable. No, it’s not the month of love. It’s the oldest sibling, January.

The first month of the year is only special at the beginning, until the post-holiday blues hit and we’re somehow back to “day one of getting my life together.”

If you’ve ever watched Game of Thrones, waiting for January to end is like waiting for winter to come. With less daylight hours to burn, it’s no surprise that people feel like this month drags on forever.

After filling December with holiday festivities like baking crinkle cookies, drinking too much eggnog, binge-watching holiday classics, or last-minute Christmas shopping, suddenly switching back to our regular routine can slow down time.

To combat this feeling of idleness, we create New Year’s resolutions. 

A new year wouldn’t be complete without the phrase “new me” following it soon after. There’s nothing like wanting to change your life in a brand new year.

It could be going to the gym, eating healthier, making new friends, saving more money, or decreasing your screen time — the first of January is our signal to begin. 

I’m all for self-improvement, but January just seems like the worst time to boost productivity. And how many of us have stuck to those resolutions six months into 2026?

January also sucks because the world is telling us to rest. Animals are hibernating and the trees lose their leaves to conserve energy while we’re trying to achieve a “summer body.” 

Add shorter days with freezing temperatures into the mix and watch your social life come to an abrupt end as you reach for the blanket and remote rather than your keys.

In January, the only Jack Frost I’m trying to see is the silver-haired cutie from Rise of the Guardians.

But it wasn’t always this way. The early Roman calendar originally had 10 months — March to December. This created a long gap in the winter that was ignored.

To fix this, the second king of Rome, Numa Pompilius, created January and February — and the rest is history.

January could better serve us as a rest period. After a busy holiday season, setting too many goals at once that require more energy is asking for a burn out.

If we want to build discipline, we have to build it in the right environment.

If you set resolutions in January, but haven’t made any progress toward them, don’t beat yourself up. Let’s do what the early Romans did and let the past two months be a hibernation period — for next year.

June may be a bit late to get things going, so take this as a sign to start now.