Statistically, Monday the 22nd of January is “the worst day of the year”.
This is because of weather, debt, time since Christmas, time since failing new years resolutions and low motivation levels. January is the most terrible month of the year. The most triggering, the most depressing. Only the strong escape January unscathed. Because in January we are told over and over again that we are imperfect. That we’re fat, lazy, unhealthy and unhappy. We’re told to eat food we don’t like, go places we don’t want to go and practice “mindfulness”.
I am here to tell you ignore it all. God knows I’ll be trying to. Ignore your aunties as they go on about all the diets that they swear will work (spoiler: they won’t). Ignore your teachers when they tell you that this is a “chance to start again.” Like the last sixteen years of trying means nothing. This is not a “fresh” start, this is a mouldy, festering disease of a start.
Don’t you dare try and go into 2019 hating yourself. Thinking that you aren’t enough. If you can get through January without weighing yourself or going to some exercise class that makes you miserable then that is what I’d call success. Maybe your success will be getting up every morning or maybe it will be getting all A’s in school. Either way, that’s not because of January, that’s because of you, because you’re amazing.
You DO NOT have to change yourself just because Instagram tells you that you should okay? January is a pile of bullshit specifically designed to make you hate yourself. Don’t buy into it. It’s going to suck. You’re going to be told time and time again how you need to change, how you need to improve. But really, you don’t. What you need, is to take it easy. Don’t you dare try and diet. Don’t go to the gym if you don’t want to. I hope you understand that you’re already so perfect and eating spinach for breakfast isn’t going to make you more so. It’s just going to make you more miserable. January sucks but be brave. For me.
Don’t let people tell you that this year will be your year. Because every single year has been your year! Your little body and big soul has managed to scratch an existence in this mind blowing planet, how is that not enough for everyone? I love you and I hope you know that you don’t need to get any better because you’re already so powerful and beautiful and wonderful. Go you!
