Don’t Let January Be the Reason You Break Up
Feeling a little down this month? You're not alone. According to a recent study, January is the most depressing month of the year. It's easy to see why -- the frigid temps, the lack of sunlight, and the lack of funds after the holidays leave a lot of us feeling cooped up inside with cabin fever, depression, and a case of the blahs. The fact of the matter is that all this moodiness can significantly affect your relationship. A study of 1,000 couples in Britain revealed that in January, couples fight more than eight minutes a day and have 20 arguments during the month, compared to about 15 fights in the other months.
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If you're thinking, Wow, that's a crap ton of fighting, I'm right there with you. Even though we may not be able to relate to the amount of disagreements these angry Brits are experiencing, we can certainly take a few things away from this morbid data.
Like for instance, it's important to get out of the goddamn house. Even though it's freezing and dark and you're feeling a pinch in your wallet after all of that holiday spending, it's imperative to get out and do something, if not for yourself, but for the sake of your marriage. Staying at home makes you cranky, which makes you fight, which makes you even more unhappy, which makes you wanna stay home ... it's a vicious cycle.
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Think about it -- you don't have to necessarily do anything together. You can just do you. A happy you is a happy home, is it not? I had an extreme case of cabin fever last week and just out of boredom, I started finding flaws with my apartment, and started fights about what should be done to make it better. I quickly realized what I was doing and removed myself from my personal hell and took a little trip to my favorite place that cheers me right up: The tanning salon.
It's horrible for you and I only do it once or twice a winter, but man alive it can turn that frown upside down. All that warmth, the smell of coconut lotion and burning flesh ... ahhh. It's a game changer. I do it for my well being and for the sake of my relationship. It's how I beat January.
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Don't let this month be the cause of trouble in your relationship. Take it for what it's worth -- it's a godless time to be sure -- but make sure to snap yourself out of the funk before you decide it's time to break up. Come sunny springtime, you might regret it.
Do you feel like the winter months put a strain on your relationship?
Photo via dem_Christoph/Flickr
Written by Lindsay Mannering on CafeMom's blog, The Stir.
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