If you are feeling down at this time of year now that the holiday season is over, know you are not alone.
We explain why so many people feel that lull in January, which has been coined the January blues.
What are the January blues?
The New Year is a time for new beginnings, but for many there is a dip in that positivity.
The January Blues are a very real medical condition.
Therapist Rosemary Sword told Business Insider: "It's a form of depression that many people feel after the holidays and sometimes before."
In the US, it is called the Holiday blues.
January blues can last for a few weeks, usually after Blue Monday - said to be the most depressing day of the year.
The January blues can last a few weeksThe purported day of gloom this year fell on Monday, January 21.
It is calculated using a series of factors in a (not particularly scientific) mathematical formula.
The factors are: the weather, debt level (specifically, the difference between debt and our ability to pay), the amount of time since Christmas, time since failing our New Year's resolutions, low motivational levels and the feeling of a need to take charge of the situation.
Is it the same as Seasonal Affective Disorder?
No. January blues is a situational depression and is associated with how we think and feel.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can affect people for a month at a time and doctors believe it is related to how the body responds to sunlight.
Alison Kerry, from the mental health charity Mind, says: "With SAD, one theory is that light entering the eye causes changes in hormone levels in the body.
"In our bodies, light functions to stop the production of the sleep hormone melatonin, making us wake up.
"It's thought that SAD sufferers are affected by shorter daylight hours in the winter. They produce higher melatonin, causing lethargy and symptoms of depression."
How do you know you are suffering from the January blues?
People start to suffer from the January blues right after the holidays when all the festive decorations are gone and things are back to normal.
You can start to feel lonely after friends and family you saw over the holidays have left.
Sluggish from the excess food and drinking, and let down if your New Year hasn't gotten off the start you had hopes for.
Mental health charity Mind is derisive of the notion of Blue Monday, claiming the concept has no foundation in scientific research.
A statement on their websites says: "Here at Mind, we think it's dangerously misleading.
"Those of us who live with depression know that those feelings aren't dictated by the date.
"Implying that they are perpetuates the myth that depression is just 'feeling a bit down', something that doesn't need to be taken seriously."
Mind's Head of Information Stephen Buckley said: "Blue Monday contributes to damaging misconceptions about depression and trivialises an illness that can be life threatening. "
Multiple branches of the Samaritans charity across the UK are aiming to turn Blue Monday into Brew Monday and will be offering a brew and a chat at events across the country, the Samaritans helpline is free to call every day of the year.
How do you deal with January blues?
Sometimes going for a walk or finishing a project you started are ways to deal with the emotional lull.
Sword says: "Get out in nature, even if it's for a little while.
"Take a walk around the block and look for wildlife; enjoy a favorite meal with loved ones; call a friend or family member to check in; finish that project you started last summer, if you can.
"You are unique and valuable so enjoy your beautiful life."
Exercise, starting an activity you've wanted to do for ages and enjoying time with friends and family all help to banish the winter blues.
Personal trainer Andy Ward advises that exercise is a great tonic to feeling down, and it's best to avoid binge-eating and shunning your mates.
He said: "Squeeze in 30 minutes of exercise, it could be a fast walk, a light jog, a relaxing swim, or an intense HIIT class - just move for thirty minutes to feel the benefits.
"There are dozens of different fitness classes available. January is a great time to take up new hobbies and meet new people."
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