Is there any way to cheer up January and February? Tom Hodgkinson has a few suggestions. Plus readers’ tips

I don’t know about you, but for me, January seems to be dragging on for ever. And we’re only halfway through. There seem to be so many reasons to be miserable. The roads in London became icy and I fell off my bike while turning a corner. My glasses and hat went flying and my shoulder ached for a week but no serious damage, thanks for asking.

The following day I had root canal treatment (I suppose I can’t blame that on January but the experience certainly added to the gloom). I’ve been thoroughly drenched after spending hours trudging the damp London streets on my way from one appointment to another, because I was too nervous to use my bike.

I’ve been spending a lot of time on the depressing Caledonian Road, a thoroughfare that runs north from King’s Cross and boasts closed-down pubs, boarded-up shops, Thai massage parlours, fried chicken outlets and empty cafés with orange chairs bolted to the floor, like days of old. Everyone looks sad. I felt like I was strolling through TS Eliot’s “The Waste Land”.

my eyes failed, I was neither
Living nor dead, and I knew nothing,
Looking into the heart of light, the silence

Christmas seems like a distant memory. I spent Twelfth Night involved in the dreary task of taking the decorations off the tree and putting away the lights.

Meanwhile tyrants and madmen rage across the world, adding to the feeling of gloom and powerlessness.

I have sought refuge in sleep, fine-quality beer and also the wonderful Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar, which I’ve been meaning to read for years. It’s a fictionalised autobiography of the Roman emperor based on decades of study of the period and brims with insight. I thoroughly recommend it, though it’s not exactly cheering.

Another help to me has been diary-keeping. As soon as you write down the events of the day, your problems are seen at one remove and become less acute. A bad day makes a good read.

I’m now wondering how to get through the next two weeks. And after that, how to get through February, which is usually even worse than January. Then there’s March of course, which is invariably disappointing. Any advice on what is now called “wintering” would be most welcome.

Do send me your tips on how to stay happy in these dreary months.

PS Banish the winter gloom in February by coming to see me being interviewed by the legendary John Humphrys about my new Stoics book – and how they can help you to be happy in trying circumstances. That’s at Foyles, Tottenham Court Road, London, on Thursday 12 Feb at 7pm. Click here for more info.

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SELECTED COMMENTS

These comments were mailed to us after an earlier version of this piece was sent out as a newsletter. We like to publish a selection and reserve the right to edit them for clarity. Please add your thoughts in the box below.

Sir: My suggestions: open fires, cooking up batches of stews and soups, lighting lots and lots of candles, lying in a heap with cats/dogs/children, reading in front of the fire during a storm, sumptuous bathing and pampering rituals, dreaming up desires and hopes for the year, readings (Tarot/I Ching etc), online yoga in front of the fire, wearing layers and layers of lovely colourful winter knits, buying excellent walking boots and venturing out like a hero across the windswept hills, telling people you love them, making love by candlelight, clearing out a room or a cupboard and finding treasures, dancing, deactivating all mainstream news sources, deactivating notifications on the computer/phone.
Catherine Llewellyn

Sir: Winter (and late autumn) is my favourite time of year. I love hygge. I loathe and detest summer with the excessive heat, fear of drought, insect bites and, as an idler, too much work required in terms of watering the garden, improving body due to need to reveal more skin to stay cool, people expect me to be more social, less excuse to stay home alone, read, listen to music and reflect whilst staying cosy, looking out on the garden. When I do venture out I love the beauty of nature, the colours, the lace of the tree branches against the ice blue sky, snowdrops, stillness, minimalism, nature sleeping but signs of waking up and rebirth if you really look. What’s not to like? Winter is the idler’s season surely. I suggest you vary your trudges up and down the Caledonian Road with passing through nearby London squares, Regents Park and maybe even Hampstead Heath. London is the best city in the world for green spaces.
Susan Barnes

Sir: There are approximately 265 daylight hours in January. Using Heathrow data January averages 52 hours of sunlight for the month. So about 20% of daylight in January involves sun. Not a lot of people know that. In fact last year January saw 62 hours of sunshine at Heathrow. So if its pissing with rain. er like now, the chances are that in the next day or so the sun will be back out. And if you are lucky it will be nice and icy so you can still have a whinge.
Ed Jenne

Sir: I do so enjoy your newsletters and I’m sorry you’re having a crap couple of weeks. I vividly remember skidding on ice when riding my bike to work in south London circa 2002 and although I came to no harm it was terrifying! I hope you are back on your bike soon.
My tips for January (and I type this feeling quite miserable with a chest infection) are:
1 Hearty slow cooking. Stews and soups. I spent an hour today prepping a whole box full of carrots that had been put in a bin. Nowt wrong with them. They would have been in landfill and now they are in my freezer. That’s very satisfying.
2 Moderate boozing. Dry January is an abomination. This is a month where we need stout and Porter and red wine and perhaps (in my case today) a little medicinal whisky or brandy.
3 In keeping with points one and two: make a big deal of Burns Night even if you have no link to Scotland. It happens at exactly the point in January where you need SOMETHING to celebrate. Why not celebrate poetry and have a wee dram.
4 Knitting and handicrafts. Stay in the warm and make things.
Helen Rice

Sir: I always enjoy your letters and am already looking at ways to be more analogue in 2025 after your encouragement. I found the book Wintering by Katherine May very encouraging too, as I used to get bad seasonal affective disorder and her words helped me a lot. As does reading Nigel Slater’s Christmas Chronicles every year – they lead you nicely through October to January too. From Nigel, I have this year adopted his habit of lighting a few candles during breakfast time instead of only in the evening. Their little cheerful glow at the start of the day sets me up well.
Sue Smith

Sir: Here is one tip. I think, if you can just hold on until your book is published on Feb 12, you might find some good advice there to give yourself again.
Juana Gibson

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