Beat the January blues with the South Downs

Kate Drake, health and wellbeing officer for the South Downs National Park

January can feel like a long, taxing and sometimes depressing month. Cold weather, dark mornings, poor sunlight, and the tightening of purse strings can lead to low mood, lack of motivation and low energy – and that’s without the added stress of the pandemic. But, while acknowledging these feelings are totally normal, there are some tangible, low-cost ways to beat the January blues that can put a welcome spring in your step.

The great outdoors of the national park, with its wondrous landscape and winter wildlife, can provide such an uplifting boost – and you may not even realise the power of good it’s done for you until the end of your ramble, heart pumping and lungs full of fresh air!

Getting out for a walk, cycle, or run in one of the most beautiful landscapes in Britain is enough to lift anyone’s spirits, but if you’re not feeling particularly energetic, there are lots of other ways to combat the seasonal blues, such as taking photographs, practising mindfulness or wildlife watching.

Whether you’re a runner, jogger, rambler, cyclist, power-walker, stroller or mobility scooter-rider, the national park has over 3,300km of pathways in some of the most serene countryside you’re ever likely to see. Some of the journeys are well-trodden, others are not. That’s part of the beauty of the national park’s extensive rights of way network – there’s always a new adventure to be had. Check out our Discovery Map at southdowns.gov.uk and start planning.

New year’s resolutions can be hard to stick to, but it’s much easier to set yourself some challenges that aren’t overly time-sensitive. Have you ever walked the South Downs Way before? Why not walk a section of the 100-mile route and then try another section, and maybe another? It’s your challenge after all! Have you ever climbed to the top of the highest point in the national park before? At 279.7 metres (918ft) Blackdown offers a view that is well worth the climb! Whatever the challenge, make it your own!