January, 2025
The New Year is upon us! What are your goals and intentions for this year? Let's look at some options for making positive changes in 2025!
Focus Topics for January, 2025
Season Affective Disorder (SAD)
During the short days of winter, a sadness overcomes some individuals which most often is misunderstood. Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, occurs beginning usually in October, through the holiday season, then worsens during late December through February or March.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that occurs at a specific time of year, most commonly during the fall and winter months when daylight hours are shorter. It is linked to reduced exposure to sunlight, which can disrupt the body's internal clock (circadian rhythm) and affect the production of serotonin and melatonin—chemicals that regulate mood and sleep.
​
Symptoms of SAD
-
Persistent low mood
-
Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed
-
Fatigue or lack of energy
-
Difficulty concentrating
-
Changes in appetite (often craving carbohydrates)
-
Sleep disturbances (oversleeping or insomnia)
-
Feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness
-
In severe cases, thoughts of self-harm or suicide
​
Causes of SAD
-
Reduced Sunlight: Less sunlight during fall and winter affects serotonin levels, which can lead to depression.
-
Disruption of Circadian Rhythm: Shorter days may confuse the body's internal clock, impacting mood and energy levels.
-
Melatonin Production: Darkness increases melatonin production, making people feel lethargic or sleepy.​
​
If you or someone you know might be experiencing SAD, consulting a healthcare professional is an essential step for effective management and support. ​​
​
Winter Wellness-Sleep
Winter can present it's own set of challenges with shorter days, colder temperatures, and times when flu and other viruses can made life difficult.
Sleep hygiene (meaning good sleep practices) can be beneficial for your managing the cold days of winters. Maintaining a regular sleep schedule can help keep circadian rhythms in check. Have a regular time to go to sleep and a regular time to wake up each day, including weekends.
The National Sleep Foundation website provides many resources for your researching ways to improve sleep. Some ideas include avoid heavy meals and alcohol before bedtime, putting electronic devices away one hour before bedtime, have at least 30 minutes of exercise per day that is enjoyable, spend time in the outdoors or in daylight as much as is possible each day, and more.
Resources are provided at the end of this article for your review.
​​​​​​​
Resources:
7 Winter Wellness Tips for Good Sleep
​
​
Ways to Improve Your Sleep in 2025
​
​
​
​
What Would You Like to Have Happen in 2025?
January is the time for new starts, new beginnings, and new goals. Discussion often begins with "setting resolutions" or "making new goals". Goals are time limited, specific, and at times lack areas of flexibility. Many individuals use the concepts of "intentions" which permit flexibility, lack strict specificity, and encourage more opportunity for a person to achieve what they have set out to do in the new year.
For example, a "goal" may start with "losing 10 lbs per month", or "exercising two hours every day". So often, these goals will fall by the wayside due to, for example with weight, each person varies with metabolic rate, body structure, body function, so 8 lbs a month or 6 lbs may be more realistic. With intention of weight loss, the person may say, I intend to eat healthier with the intention of losing weight each month. So, the person. may lose 4 lbs one month, 6 the next month, 2 per month, etc. yet they have met their "intention".
What are your "intentions" for the new year? What would you like to achieve that would be different than in 2024? How would you best go about making your intentions achievable?
Resources of both goal setting and intentional planning are listed below. Through EAP services and Life coaching, the counselor/life coach may be able to provide guidance for your success in 2025.
​
Setting Intentions for the New Year
​
​
​
​
​
Sample of an Intentional Life Plan
​
​
What I Am Reading January, 2025
January is the time most people decide to reset life-goals to be set up in many life areas, such as health, exercise, food choices, quality time, to name a few. Maybe this year, a new view using a resource, "Creating Your Best Life, The Ultimate Life List Guide". As I recently reread and reviewed this resource, book, working with an EAP client during Fall, 2024, the decision was made to place this is a "must read" section on the website.
Taking the time to read chapters there was a revisit to being aware why life lists matter, how to create a life list, looking at the areas of change and focus, savoring one's wins, to reset life with a more intentional focus.
People need intentional, vision focused living, with goals, which are measurement specific, not as flexible. Creating a vision of how to life life opens up so many possibilities.
One area of focus is to have friendships, meaningful relationships, that help make you better, savor your times in life, and are "with you". Also another term is "savoring" in life special moments, remembering, and taking a pause to be grateful for the times with others, when there is happiness, when there are the "joys" in life.
To start off your new year, this may just be a life changing read for you in 2025. What do you have to lose by not checking out the resource? This may be your happiest year yet, with resetting and learning about "happiness", with work toward what you may want in life.
​
A video about "Creating Your Best Life" (from years ago)
​
Another video about the book by the author, Carolyn Adams Miller.
​