January is the Monday of the year and always feels gloomy. Harsh cold grey skies tinge everything with dullness while the festive over-indulgence shows in a lumpy sluggish body and a mind full of gloom.

Payday seems a long way away from bill and credit card demands which appear as if by magic the moment the 2nd of January arrives.

I’m trying to think of something positive and cheerful to write - Happy New Year by the way! Maybe we all wish each other this in desperation as much as anything else.

Anyway here are my tips for surviving January.

To shorten the month, go to bed as early as possible and get up late whenever you can or become a workaholic so time flies quickly.

To cope with bills, put them in a large A4 envelope addressed to yourself. Shove in a drawer and forget until 30th January. Post it. At least when it arrives this time around your salary will have reached your account.

To deal with miserable grey days, get some rose tinted sunglasses and wear them all the time or draw all the curtains and stay in until February.

To feel better about the extra weight you gained at Christmas, avoid mirrors and wear clothes that are too big for you.

Wishing you all a speedy February.

What holiday food I am (posted here) probably depends on my mood. At the moment I’ve got after Christmas bulges in places that shouldn’t bulge so I feel like a Christmas pudding before its lit. I’m hoping that I’ll flame into action and work all the extra weight off. Thinking of January stretching out before me with it’s bills and hard grey days makes me feel like a lump of grey sage and onion stuffing, overcooked and inedible. However today, the snow cheered me up so I felt cheerful, though still too round (gingerbread lady.)