Rebecca Moore doesn’t relish the dreary days in the months ahead but applauds the efforts to brighten them with special events

So this is it: a week in to a brand new year. Naturally, for many of us we happily go along with the belief that it heralds a brand new me, too.

A quote shared on Facebook on January 1 highlighted this by simply stating: Page 1 of 365. Yes, a brand new book all about me, upon which I can start afresh.

Except afresh involves starting with the post-Christmas (and therefore 10lbs heavier) versions of ourselves.

That slows improvement down somewhat. Added to this is the fact that it’s the beginning of January which means we have the January, February and March blues to march through before we have any hope of sun and more chocolate.

So that’s a little dreary. And that’s without even mentioning the post-Christmas bank balance.

But we shan’t go there. There’s no point going there anyway – there’s nothing in it, I’ve already tried.

Then again, January has some plus points even if most of these have been fabricated by us in a desperate attempt to wrestle the infernal month into some kind of appeal.

We’ve shoehorned into January campaigns such as Work from Home Week. Employees take note: this is a week which takes place from January 19 to 24, supported and endorsed by the likes of BBC London (to prove it’s really a thing) in which companies allow – yes, you’ve guessed it – employees to work from home for one whole week.

January is the perfect month to work from home since, as we’ve already noted, we generally weigh more, so heaving ourselves off the sofa proves trickier.

Plus, it’s dark outside all the time. Every single morning hits me the same way that I imagine the morning after hibernation hits cave-bears.

In 2015 alone, I’ve already argued with the dawn on more than one occasion, absolutely certain that I surely only fell asleep an hour or so ago. Stepping outside on mornings like this feels positively illegal and definitely dangerous for my health. Point being you should probably welcome work from home week. If you fancy it, then I suggest running a well-timed, finely-penned Jerry Maguire-esque mission statement past your superiors.

At least try to swindle a few late mornings if your plea for freedom doesn’t quite cut it.

There are a few unabashed gimmick days such as Belly Laugh Day, Global Hugging Day and No Trousers on the Underground Day.

I’m all for LOL-ing and hugging but if pasty, hairy, man-legs are not your idea of a treat, I’d stay off the Underground on Sunday.

If you want to avoid students running towards you on Cornmarket, yelling about free love and liberalism, I’d probably recommend staying in on January 21, too.

So, January isn’t all bad. Burn’s night is towards the end, which is always a good excuse to drink whisky and recite poetry all in the name of art.

By then I’ll be on page 25 of 365 and following all the upcoming January mornings and gym visits, I’ll be there for the scotch, if nothing else.

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