Why January Feels Harder Than Expected

January is often strange emotionally. Christmas is over. The buildup and excitement are gone. People expect to feel relief, but instead, many feel flat, irritable, or a bit low.

They tell themselves they should be grateful. They should be rested. They should be ready to get on with things.

And yet they feel worse.

From a CBT perspective, this is very common and very understandable.

The crash after emotional intensity

December is a heavy month emotionally. Even when it is enjoyable, it is intense. Family dynamics, money, expectations, memories, alcohol, disrupted routines, and pressure to be happy all pile on.

When that drops away, the nervous system does not bounce back straight away. It often drops into a low energy, low mood state.

People then interpret that feeling as “something is wrong with me,” rather than “my system is settling after a lot of stimulation.”

The thought that makes it worse

A typical January thought is not just “I feel low,” it is “I should not feel like this.”

That thought adds a second layer of distress.

CBT calls this a secondary appraisal. The feeling might be sadness or exhaustion, but the belief about the feeling creates shame, frustration, and self-criticism.

So instead of resting, people push themselves. Instead of being kind, they judge themselves.

That keeps the low mood going.

The comparison trap

Aswell as that, January is full of comparison.

People see others getting organised, exercising, going back to work, and appearing to cope. Social media, unfortunately, amplifies this.

The automatic thought becomes “everyone else is doing better than I am.”

CBT helps people recognise that this is a story the mind tells under stress, but it is not a balanced picture of reality.

What actually helps

Low mood after an intense period does not respond well to pressure. It responds better to structure.

Simple routines:

• Getting out into daylight.

• Small, achievable tasks.

• Some movement.

• Some connection.

Often, it is the small, ordinary actions that slowly remind your mind and body that you are still here and still moving.

You do not need to fix January

One of the most important shifts is realising that January does not need to be productive, impressive, or transformative.

It is often a month of emotional recalibration.

When you stop fighting how you feel and start responding to it more kindly, the heaviness begins to lift on its own.