Okay so here’s what went down. January hit like a brick wall. You know the feeling? Grey everywhere, cold slaps your face walking outside, just blah. Saw people online raving about “January Colors” – all those icy blues, crisp whites, deep forest greens, maybe some charcoal grey. Said it could lighten the mood, make winter feel fresh. Sounded good. Sounded easy. Figured, what the heck, why not give it a shot myself? Can’t hurt, right?
Started small. Honestly, didn’t want to spend much dough. First thing Monday morning, I dug through my closet. Found this really pale, almost faded blue sweater I’d kinda forgotten about. Pulled it on. Not my usual vibe, usually wear warmer tones like burgundy or brown. Felt a bit… chilly just looking at myself. But pushed through it.
Then, my workspace. My desk corner gets decent light. Had this cheap notebook lying around, plain white cover. Plopped it down right next to my laptop. Replaced my usual yellow sticky notes with plain white ones. Felt a bit stark, clean maybe, but a little… bare? Clinical, even? Kept going.
Went out for lunch Wednesday. Passed this thrift shop and saw a mug. Not just any mug. It was this matte white mug with the faintest trace of grey streaks. Looked like a fancy minimalist thing people pay big bucks for. Got it for like two bucks. Brought it back, made my afternoon tea in it instead of my chunky, bright orange mug. Drank my tea looking at this stark white mug. Weirdly made the tea itself feel less… warming?
Got a bit more ambitious Thursday. Had this one wall in my living room. Pretty empty. Found an old picture frame in the garage, painted it this deep, dark green I had leftover from who-knows-what project years ago. Put in a simple black and white photo I took ages ago of bare winter trees. Hung it up. Stood back. Did it look cool? Kinda. Artistic? Maybe. Did it make the room feel cozy and uplifting? Uh… not really. Felt a bit… serious? Heavy even? Definitely wasn’t the warm vibe I usually try for.
By Friday, I gotta be real. Woke up feeling the same winter drag as usual. Put on that blue sweater again. Looked out the window. Grey sky, grey buildings, grey mood reflected back. Made myself that tea in the stark white mug. Stared at the new dark green picture frame.
Here’s the raw deal: All this January color stuff didn’t magically brighten my mood. If anything, surrounding myself intentionally with all those cool, stark tones – the pale blue, the clean white, the serious green and grey – just made my surroundings feel even colder. It amplified the winter bleakness instead of fighting it. Like painting my walls frost.
The kicker came Saturday morning. Spilled some coffee. Right on that nice white notebook. Ugh. Instinct? I grabbed my old orange mug off the shelf, filled it with hot coffee, and curled up on the couch under my warm, slightly worn red blanket. The pop of warmth felt like a small punch back at the winter greys outside. Didn’t need minimalist. Needed cozy.
So yeah, did January Colors boost my mood this season? Truth bomb: They kinda dragged it down further. Maybe it works for some folks, that sleek, cool vibe. But for me? Trying to lean into winter’s palette just made me miss warmth more. Learned I need my reds, my oranges, my woodsy browns to actually combat the seasonal sludge. Who knew? Back to my cheerful clutter!
