It's still freezing cold and pitch black outside at 4pm, but without the forthcoming festivities of Christmas and it no longer being socially acceptable to eat a Lindt reindeer for breakfast, it all seems pretty dreary. 

Maybe it's due to the fact that Christmas has such a huge build up, or we know that Summer is still ages away, or maybe even the fact that there's not really much to look forward to, but January is often seen as the month of diets, exams and serious concern for your bank account. To put it simply, January isn't at the top of everyone's list of favourite months, but it doesn't have to be that way. There are things you can do to squash the stereotype of a sad January, and make sure you kick the year off right, and not just the first week!

Stick to your new years resolution
Whether it's to give more of your time to charity, exercise more or even just be nicer to your parents, studies show that by now most people will have already given up or broken their new years resolutions, but we won't tell anyone if you want to pick up where you left off.

Ask yourself what is it that's getting you down?
Did you relax a bit too much over Christmas and could've revised more? Have you had an argument over something silly with a friend? Is something going on at home? Remember there are people you can speak to - no matter how big or small your problem. 

Make small achievable goals
We don't necessarily mean new years resolutions, but it's no secret that accomplishing things makes us feel great. Setting smaller goals means you'll be more likely to achieve them. Whether it's to exercise for 30 mins a day, connect with an old friend, or maybe even start a new blog and post once a week, setting the goalposts too high means it's easy to fail or give up, leaving you feeling disheartened and discouraged. 

Do the digital detox
The last thing you need after a month of eating far too much chocolate is to sit and scroll through the #bodygoals Instagram feed, full of pictures of super glamorous 'travel bloggers' and models posing in the Maldives, and wonder why you can't look like that. Don't forget that the people in the pictures probably don't even look like that - people only put what they want you to see on social media. 

Get inspired
Social media isn't all bad you know, you can find some truly inspirational people on Twitter and Instagram to follow, including Malala Yousafzai, who survived an attack from the Taliban, became a prominent education activist and gained a place to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford. You could even follow us if you want to keep up to date with the College, and the chance to have your say on what happens! 

Surround yourself with things and people you love
When it's dark and cold outside and you can't distract yourself with a mince pie and The Grinch, surround yourself with comfort. Whether it's investing in some new bed sheets and cushions, cooking a delicious and somewhat healthy meal, or even taking your dog for a walk, set some time aside to do something purely for you.