After the chaos of December, January rolls in quickly. It arrives quietly and sits heavily. The holidays are gone, the days feel longer, and suddenly everything seems to require more effort than it should. With new year resolutions, January is seen as a month of big reinventions or ambitious overhauls, but this is not what we should perceive this month as. It’s the month for small, steady habits, the habits that make your day feel lighter, warmer, and a lot more manageable. 

Starting the day gently can change the entire tone of January mornings. No more rushing into those notifications, schedules, and expectations. Allow your brain to be quiet. A little secret for you, those 5 or 10 extra minutes you took to go back to sleep … those minutes are not going to do anything for you. Take a few slow breaths and use that time to make your bed. Stretch your body and take sips of a warm drink without any distraction. When the day begins softly, it won’t feel like you are surviving it; it will feel like you can flow through it, live it. 

Reducing mental weight is less about doing and rushing to get those tasks done; it’s about carrying less in your head. January often feels heavy because of the things we need to get done. It’s filled with deadlines, unfinished tasks, plans, and these worries are all competing for your attention all at once, so your brain can never unwind. Junior Emma Sonia Henry Ortiz explains that, “With the semester ending, I have so much to do. I’ve been making lists to focus on one thing at a time.” Simple habits like writing down tomorrow’s priorities, making a short list, or dumping your thoughts onto paper feel like an immediate relief. The thoughts aren’t spinning around in your head; now you have a paper to look at. The key is to focus on one task/thought at a time. Even clearing a little thought makes it easier to focus and makes your day less overwhelming. 

When the year starts, everyone wants to jump into crazy things to reinvent themselves, and they start by moving their bodies. Moving the body doesn’t have to be about discipline or intensity. It’s good not to have that all the time; sometimes your body just needs a quiet way of checking in. A stretch, a walk, or light jog will shake off that mental fog. Senior Tianna Winkelman says ecstatically, “Whenever I get back from a walk or run, I feel so much better.” In January, when it’s hard to find that peace, moving your body boosts blood flow, nutrients, memory, dopamine, neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to adapt), and is a strong stress reducer. 

Activity period is a great way to expand and pursue what you’re interested in. In the cold months, it can get boring, and you start to lose motivation. The More Than Words Club, hosted by Mr. Jannke is surrounded by positive people, and it’s a great place to talk about what’s going on in the school. Not only does this club give you the opportunity to speak out about things, but it’s also heavy on learning about different cultures, and you can teach others about your culture as well.  More Than Words is a big eye-opener for anyone who joins; instead of just talking about it, this group acts on it. They go to different schools and teach students about bullying, cultures, and influencing others to be a better person overall. 

Small habits that make January feel less heavy aren’t about ignoring priorities or fixing the season. Small comforts and simple rhythms make the beginning of the year enjoyable. Giving yourself something to do or look forward to loses the grip that January and winter have on us. 

Brooklyn Botts, Staff Writer 

Junior Brooklyn Botts is a staff writer for the 2025-2026 Colonel News site. She likes country music, fall aesthetics, and Adam Sandler movies.