Dear Janice: 'I’ve already scuppered my dry January resolution'

Everyone seems so upbeat and looking forward to the new year, but I made my list of pledges and already I’ve scuppered my Dry January resolution!

I feel like I’ve failed at the very first task I set myself.

Is this why I feel so down?

Some people refer to it as the January slump (albeit you are just starting the month).

Relationship milestones question where you want to be in the year ahead, and bills and debt are growing bigger and faster than a snowball hurtling down the Matterhorn, while social media spews out endless positive affirmations to anyone and everyone in need of an emotional uplift and renewed focus for the year ahead.

We are inundated with photos and adverts of would-be healthy, fit, overly excited trekkers perched at the top of a hill in their brand new walking boots, exhilarated that they made it.

Or their first use of their gym membership – pumping iron, decked out in Santa’s newly gifted Lycra – all because this is the start of a new year when suddenly change is expected to make it all come together.

But in reality … it doesn’t, and very little changes.

We reach for the familiar glass of wine, open the same tasty bag of crisps, slouch on the usual corner of our sofa … see where I’m coming from?

These habitual behaviours make us feel like a failure before our Christmas tree is wrestled back into its box!

So what if you failed Dry January?

There are another 11 months to try. The gym will still be there next week, and the diet can start again on one of the other 50 Mondays.

You feel doomed, but give yourself a break and start with some self-compassion.

Treat yourself with the same kindness, understanding and acceptance you’d offer a friend or sibling.

Forgive your flaws and failures and start afresh as many times as it takes to make you feel happy.

Small steps, and you’ll get there.

I didn’t want to disappoint my kids, so I overspent at Christmas.

Now several credit card payments are due, but I don’t have the funds.

The cards seemed like the solution at the time, but I am worried sick I can’t pay them back.

January is the most financially stressful month of the year for a number of reasons.

There’s usually a long pay gap, energy bills spike due to the cold weather, and we get caught out following the highest spending period of the year (November/December), when credit card transactions are at their peak.

Divide your remaining salary into weekly amounts and stick to them. Switch to supermarket own brands, saving 20–30% on your shopping.

Cancel non-urgent subscriptions.

Sell unwanted gifts on Vinted, eBay or Facebook Marketplace.

Perhaps return unwanted Christmas gifts.

Check out www.stepchange.org and www.citizensadvice.org.uk, who offer free advice to get you back on track.

Well done for addressing problems others tend to ignore.

Got a question for our agony aunt? Email askjanice@glasgowtimes.co.uk 

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