How to Beat the January Blues in Manchester

It’s mid-January, and as I type this the rain is thrashing it down in classic Mancunian down-pour style, its already dark at 3pm and the wind is enough to turn even the strongest umbrellas inside out. With Christmas over and Valentine’s Day (if you count that as a holiday) still just less than a month away, it can be easy to feel sorry for yourself. However, with the first payday of 2019 just around the corner, there’s still hope(!) and so today I’m sharing my top tips for how to beat the January Blues in Manchester this 2019.

 Take a Spa Break

Possibly the most indulgent way to get over the January Blues is to take a spa break. We are so lucky to have so many great beauty salons and spa retreats both in and out of Manchester city centre. If you’re local and really want to switch off and relax this January, I’d definitely recommend taking a weekend away from the city and visiting one of the many luxury hotels and spas in Cheshire, just South of Manchester. Plus, in January many spas have special offers on treatments, meaning you can gym, swim and sauna all with the added luxury of a facial or a massage in a beautifully relaxing spa setting. If you fancy totally letting go, check out some spa deals in Cheshire for the ultimate indulgence.

 Visit a Museum or Art Gallery

If you’re strapped for cash on what to do this January – and let’s face it, who doesn’t feel a bit poor after Christmas and New Year – then visit a museum or art gallery is a great day out! In Manchester, we are super lucky to have many of our museums and galleries funded by the government, making the majority of them completely free to visit! Some of my favourites in Manchester at the Museum of Science and Industry – all about the industrial history of Manchester and actually built on the site of the first railway station in the world on Liverpool Street in Manchester – and the Whitworth Art Gallery which changes it’s modern art exhibitions regularly. Taking a couple of hours to visit one of these will also help occupy your mind and take it off whatever is causing your January Blues.

Keep Active

Perhaps a good way to both tick a New Year’s resolution off your list AND keep the January Blues at bay is to keep active. I know, I know, such a cliché – but it doesn’t have to be boring. For the first time ever, this January 2019 I have joined a gym on my own in town and am actually, dare I say it, enjoying going to the gym after work. I think aside from the exercise, I just like keeping busy whilst it’s dark at night and I don’t feel like I’m sitting on my own for a long time at the evenings. If the gym isn’t your thing (and it wasn’t mine until two weeks ago) then try going for a speed walk around town; try walking the industrial bridges in Castlefield or the cobbled streets around Albert’s Square. There’s so many beautiful buildings to look at in Manchester.

Plan a Holiday

Sure, we all love Manchester – but when the weather is as miserable as it is right now and there’s so many Winter sales on holidays, why not plan a getaway? Whether’s is Barbados or the Brecon Beacons, there’s a holiday for everyone and we are so lucky in Manchester to live right next to one of the biggest international airports in the world. Even just browsing vay-cays and having something to look forward to for the rest of the year is a sure fire way to banish the January Blues!