January can be tough. If you think it’s just you, think again.

December bills are rolling in, the Christmas tree is (probably) put away, it still gets dark fairly early in the evenings, and it’s cold.

Oh, and seasonal affective disorder is a real thing (especially in colder climates), and the world seems to be increasingly erratic and unstable.

Psychologist Cliff Arnall says that the third Monday in January is the most depressing day of the year.

This is why I think we need to be proactive, not reactive, about our well-being.

I love this very personal and practical prayer by the apostle John: “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well” (3 John 1:2). It shows a concern not only for his friend’s soul, but for his overall health as well.

That’s my prayer for you too. I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.

To help with this, I put a podcast and blog together (link below). It includes six brief ideas to help navigate the difficulty of January. I encourage you to heed reverse inertia, embrace grace, beware the frenemy, ask for help (if needed), set simple reasonable goals, and stand firm in things eternal.

Imagine a hole in the ice on a lake. Now imagine falling into it. It is definitely easier to stay out than it is to crawl out. Being proactive about your well-being is doing your best to stay out in the first place.

Your soul matters. But so does your mind and your body.

Let’s be proactive, not just reactive, about our well-being.

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Notes:

–New Podcast and Blog: “January can be tough–so here are 6 ideas to help.” Tune in to ‘The Pulse Podcast with Matthew Ruttan’ wherever you subscribe, or click here (includes text version).

–Sermon: “Spiritual Gifts 101.” Click here.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.