January is no time to give up the things you love

The first month of the year is overshadowed by darkness. January gifts Scotland the least sunshine of the annum – in January 1983, Cape Wrath recorded a minimum duration of 0.6 hours of sunlight. Those living in the most north-westerly point in Britain had just 36 minutes of sun that month.

Temperatures also hit their coldest extremes. The lowest recorded in the UK was -27.2 degrees Celsius, in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, in January 1982.

It’s a month where the climate hits record lows, at a time where the morale of the country sees the same fate.

Incomes hit rock bottom as the splurge on presents and justification for overspending “because it’s Christmas” – not to mention the gym membership taken out to undo all indulgences – each squeeze the wallet.

At Christmas normality is upended; multiple days in a row are taken off work in the name of spending time with friends and family; teeny pies filled with mincemeat are eaten at any time of day and recommendations on how much physical exercise one should do are ignored.

Abberation is what makes Christmas the most unique time of year – certain friends and family are seen, certain foods are eaten and certain board games are played; some or all of which only appeal in the winter months, some or all of which rely on the presence of alcohol.

So it seems bizarre that after an indulgent period where no one knows – or cares – when bin day is, a switch is activated nationwide on January 1 which commands we get our lives together. We should be punished for enjoying ourselves by cutting exactly what brings joy to our lives. Meat, alcohol and chocolate are common casualties in this sudden happiness cull.

There is an odd dichotomy between the Christmas period and January despite only a handful of days separating them. Enjoy everything you want and more in the former; ditch what you enjoy most in the latter. Christmas is an ebullient time since we make January all the more miserable by fasting the good things which make the dark days more bearable.

Why not set realistic goals? Reduce your meat intake by going veggie every Monday. Drink less alcohol on weeknights. Take chocolate off the weekly food shop list. Make goals which will alleviate the things you see as hindrances in your life.

Outright bans on the things you enjoy, unsurprisingly, is not going to make January any less dreich.