The crackers have been pulled, leftovers long since devoured and the sheen of new year is fading fast.
January is an unwelcome and yet necessary guest to the party. It promises a sparkling new you, before adding dark nights and unforgiving weather to the mix.
Before you’ve even wrestled yourself into Lycra for that resolution run, you’re confronted with Blue Monday.
It falls on January 17 this time round, and is apparently the saddest day of the entire year.
But what is the formula behind such a dreary prediction? From the number of days since the last payday, to hours of daylight and how long till the next bank holiday – well let’s just say it makes for a diabolical sum.
Whether you believe in the equation or not, there’s no denying that January is nowhere near as appealing as say, June – unless you’re nocturnal and a fan of stinging sideways rain.
While it’s widely acknowledged that Blue Monday is at best a PR stunt which encourages us to spend more money in banishing said blues, it will unfortunately still be trending on social media.
Samaritans is eager to change the conversation and has come up with its own term, Brew Monday, where people are encouraged to connect with others over a cuppa and raise money in the process.
Your Life has the privilege of telling your stories all year round, Blue Monday or not.
We don’t believe that one date out of all 365 on the calendar can have the power to take centre stage, but we have always believed in community.
It might be difficult to think that fantastic work is going on when the sun seems to set mid-afternoon, but people of the north-east are wonderfully resilient.
We decided it was high time to find a marvellous dose of happiness, and highlight some positive projects that are taking place on your doorstep.
From champions of the environment to novice runners pounding the streets, we hope that this coming Monday will be anything but blue.
David Scott, founder of Fit Like Joggers
Many of us have vowed to get fit this year, and running is a no-brainer. You don’t need a gym membership, and you can feel those endorphins kick in outside.
But how do you even start, and where can you find a welcoming community?
Step forward Fit Like Joggers, where hundreds of people have discovered how to run since the group was set up six years ago.
Founder David Scott, who is a commercial lawyer at Ledingham Chalmers, decided to start the group after a friend asked for help.
The rest is history, and plenty of novice members have gone on to run ultra marathons.
David is no stranger to the world of ultra marathons, where people run further than the traditional marathon length.
Having only started running in 2010 himself, David has competed in more than 30 ultra marathons across Scotland, including the 95-mile West Highland Way race, and the 214-mile Race Across Scotland.
If that isn’t encouraging, we don’t know what is, but David’s main passion remains in helping others to get started.
“I had recently got into running when a friend asked me for some help and guidance,” says David, who lives on the outskirts of Aberdeen.
“The idea was to follow this programme from non-runners to running, that’s how it kicked off.
“My friend brought a few friends along; there was 15 of us and we did this Couch to 5k programme.
“It was good; I think everyone really enjoyed it and got a lot out of it. So I thought to myself, let’s get more people.”
The group has since snowballed, with more than 300 active running members, and hundreds more following on social media.
And Blue Monday or not, the latest Couch to 5k cohort has just started out, putting one foot in front of the other.
“We have two new 5k groups each year, one in January and one in August,” says David.
“We had to stop running together due to Covid, and people really missed having this community.
“People who would never have really thought of themselves as club people. Now there’s four different run sessions, 11 different groups and a whole team of leaders.
“I had never been a member of a running group before, so it was very new to me.
“I think we’ve helped around 500 people to get running. Around 50 people run every Monday night. We meet on Great Western Road and then the groups split off in different directions.”
Far from being a jog in the park, running the group takes up a huge amount of David’s time.
But if you believe in something, positivity will flourish.
“I lose sleep over it,” says David. “It’s a huge amount of work.
“But I see what it brings to people. There’s not an easy route into running, it’s unclear how to get started because you can’t just turn up at Park Run.
“So many people end up doing too much too soon, so their running career is over before it has really begun.
“I love being outside, I don’t like treadmills. It’s the community and the people you meet.
“Everyone has their own running journey, whether you’re doing Couch to 5k or an ultra marathon. Everyone starts somewhere.
“We’ve had a few people complete marathons having started out doing Couch to 5k, they’ve really progressed.”
But can you really learn to run in the face of Blue Monday, not to mention January weather?
David seems to think so, and is firm in his belief that running can be a powerful antidote at this time of year.
“It’s actually the perfect time, because people tend to want to make changes at the start of the year,” he says.
“This is the way to make it happen. The majority of people make it to the end of our nine-week programme.
“I personally find it a really good destress.”
If you want to get your running shoes on, you can find out more via the Fit Like Joggers Facebook page, or head to their website at www.fitlikejoggers.com
Mike Scotland, founder of Community cleanUP
You can’t help but feel enthused after a conversation with Mike Scotland, for the dad of two has a glorious zest for life.
Currently working in Qatar due to his job in health and safety for the oil and gas industry, Mike already has big plans when he returns to the north-east in March.
A litter picker has become the ultimate accessory for Mike, after he inspired a global movement in cleaning up the environment.
I wanted to find a way where we could prevent people from destroying the riverside again. Rather then look like a dumping ground, we developed a nature trail.”
As if that wasn’t enough, Mike also runs manUP speakUP, which focuses on mental health in the oil and gas industry.
Wellbeing is at the heart of everything Mike does, and he believes that getting out in nature can be enormously beneficial.
But what if your daily walk becomes a source of angst as you navigate litter-strewn paths and polluted riverbeds?
This was Mike’s experience, after he headed out to Muggiemoss riverside and was confronted with an eyesore.
“It really was horrible and so rundown,” recalls Mike.
“And yet it’s such a beautiful lay of the land, it’s incredible.”
“One day in 2019 I decided to do a litter pick, and I was stopped by someone who asked what I was doing.
“He asked if I wanted a hand, and we picked up litter together for three hours. It was really good, two strangers becoming friends by picking up litter.
“I told him I was going to go home and create a group which would become a global movement – he just laughed.”
No one is laughing now, and the very next day Mike launched Community cleanUP.
But what became of the rubbish-strewn Muggiemoss riverside?
Six hundred kilogrammes of rubbish were lifted from the riverside that year, with people meeting every Saturday to collect litter for three hours – until Covid hit.
The change brought otters to swim upstream for the first time in more than 40 years, and it would take more than a pandemic to stop Mike and his faithful litter pick.
The area has gradually been turned into a beautiful nature trail, and more than 6,000 lights were rigged along it at Christmas time, alongside Halloween and Easter trails.
“People can sit and look at the ducks, the swans and the otters at long last,” says Mike.
“I wanted to find a way where we could prevent people from destroying the riverside again. Rather than look like a dumping ground, we developed a nature trail.
“We’ve managed through help and through funding, to turn it into one of Aberdeen’s secret spots.
“When we started out, we had local members. Now we have thousands of members around the world.”
Mike’s solitary litter pick has gone on to inspire an army, with people spurred on across global communities.
Cleaning up the environment has never been so important, but it’s about so much more than that.
“It all comes back to mental health,” says Mike. “For me, I tie everything back to mental health. It’s not just litter going in the bin, it’s all my negative thoughts and bad energy going into the bin.
“It’s turning the negative into the positive with a mindset shift.
“There’s so much stuff in this world that we can’t control, but there’s also so much that we can control in order to help us mentally.
“You can sit in your house moaning about the riverside. Or you can get up, get out and make a contribution. Give yourself some self-worth.”
Mike has made lifelong friends as a result of litter picking, and believes he is not alone in forging close bonds.
“When you go out on a litter pick, you come across people who you would never usually speak to in life,” he says
“I know some people who have become best friends due to Community cleanUP.
“Getting out, having a chat and doing something good – it doesn’t get much better than that.
“This group has become part of my life, it’s a lifestyle that I cannot escape.
“I’m a dad to two beautiful little people. My son has been litter picking since he was 18 months old; he’s three now and he actually won a litter picker of the year award.
“I get to go out and do this every day for free, how cool is that?
To find out more and get involved with Community cleanUP, visit the Facebook page.
Paul Panchaud, founder of Studio 1
You can’t get more hopeful than at the heart of community, and that’s certainly the case for Studio 1.
The social enterprise launched two months ago, in a bid to give artists a place to display their work in Banchory.
Founder Paul Panchaud, who is one of the directors for Banchory Business Association, believes its success is proof that January is not such a bad month after all.
“There has been such a good response, even though we’re still quite new,” he says.
“I think it was exactly what Banchory was needing and 25 artists are currently involved.
“It gives them the opportunity to show their work, without paying for a studio.”
Manager Vivika Kerridge agrees, and her sheer love of the project is infectious.
“We feel so proud of Studio 1, and I love working alongside all our artists,” she says.
“It means I can tell a customer what the horse in the painting is called, because every piece in here tells a story.
“Even the Singer sewing machine sparked a conversation.
“So many people have already come in to browse and to chat, it’s become a real community focal point.
“It’s a hub above and beyond retail, with so many different volunteers.”
There’s also a whole host of work on display, from beautiful lamps to jewellery and paintings.
You can find out more by popping in for a visit at Scott Skinner Square, or visiting the Facebook page @studio1banchory
