19/01/2026
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, January sits firmly in Winter, the season of the Kidneys.
The Kidneys govern:
Our reserves
Our resilience
Our willpower (Zhi)
By the third week of January aka Blue Monday, Kidney energy is often depleted. We’ve pushed through December, eaten differently, slept less, socialised more, coped with family dynamics, finances, expectations. Now the bill arrives not as illness, but as low motivation.
This is not laziness.
It is the body conserving energy.
At the same time, the Spleen responsible for digestion and energy production struggles in cold, damp conditions. That leads to;
Heaviness in the body
Foggy thinking
A feeling of being “stuck”
The Heart and Shen (mind/spirit) can feel dimmed too, especially with reduced light. Joy doesn’t disappear it just goes quiet.
Why “doing less” is actually medicine
Western culture tells us to push harder in January.
Chinese medicine says that damages the system!
Winter is not for forcing motivation.
It is for gentle containment.
So if you’re feeling low, the question isn’t “What’s wrong with me?”
It’s “What would support me right now?”
Gentle ways to meet this moment
If you feel flat, do something easy on yourself.
Get outside if you can walk, run, or just breathe the air so long as it's not polluted or the smell of slurry (sorry farmers - I know it has to be done).
Go to the cinema, even if it’s been years the dark, warmth and story nourish the Shen providing it's not a horror movie! ;)
Book a manicure, a massage or a facial
Gua sha/cupping
Gentle massage
Warm towel compresses
Have acupuncture
Meet a friend no fixing, just presence
Warm food, warm drinks, warm clothes
None of these are indulgences!
Book a consultation with Gwenright Nutrition who will guide you through nutrition wellbeing for 2026
They are seasonally appropriate medicine.
Motivation, redefined
In January, motivation doesn’t look like big plans or high energy.
It looks like:
One small decision
One nourishing appointment booked
One kind thing done for your body
That is how Yang slowly begins to rise not by force, but by care.
A final reminder
Feeling low in the third week of January doesn’t mean you’re failing the year.
It means your system is still in winter.
Light is returning you can see it already in the mornings and evenings.
Energy will follow.
Until then:
Be warm. Be gentle. Be kind to yourself.
You've got this and I will guide you into February 💛
