We waited for them, we anticipated the arrival of the children, the grandchildren, the preparations for the house, the presents. And then it happened. It was magical and wonderful. So what happens now?

It's grey out, the new year is starting, and it's possible to feel a little post-holiday blues. So, while it's important to take a rest and pampering break after the excesses, and to digest all those emotions, that doesn't mean you should become depressed!

What can you do to brighten up this transitional period between the festive season and spring?

1) Open a new notebook for the New Year.

How about a "happiness notebook"? Either in the form of a diary or a blank notebook, you can write down everything you love from day to day. You can also write down the happy dates that are coming up, your ideas for activities, your ideas for meetings, your desires.

You can also write down good memories, the ones that put a smile on your face. If there were any anecdotes over the festive period, now's the best time to write them down, before you forget them. Every time you read them, you'll relive a wonderful emotion.

You can find lots of examples of notebooks on the internet, both existing and to create yourself. If you have an artistic bent, you'll no doubt want to create your own, by illustrating, drawing or sticking decorations on it. You can also ask the children close to you to put little messages or drawings in it, like a guest book.

2) Set goals.

One, two, three, go... What new things are you going to do this year? What mini-challenge can you set yourself? Are you taking too long to find time to see a friend?  Need to see a specialist? Wanted to see an exhibition? Did you want to make a special purchase? Dreaming of an outing, a course, a new challenge? Go on, make an appointment now! Setting goals means putting action into your thoughts. It's the principle of the to-do list, and keeps procrastination at bay, which is the brake on action. So, to feel better, get moving. And making appointments means taking action. It means visualising the next step, and getting out of inertia.

3) Take care of yourself.

Every new year brings its share of good resolutions, and many of us laugh about it. But if we didn't have this old-fashioned conditioning, would we have a special time to take stock of the way we look after ourselves? What's the balance sheet? How am I doing? What do I need to do to feel better? What do I need? How do I go about it?

Take care of yourself so you can take better care of others... An often-heard maxim, and a very true one. Those who love you, those around you, need you to be well. And you need all your energy to feel happy. Well, this is a good time to consider planning some treatments or changes of habit. Don't hesitate to ask for help!

4) Organise meetings and outings.

Humans are social beings. Exchanges are essential to their well-being. While we certainly need to be isolated and recharge our batteries, it's not a good idea to be alone. So it's important to find the right balance between time to rest, time to breathe and time to socialise. Having a little get-together planned, or being on a social network (soon senior.life!) to share special moments is a good way to feel good.

5) Sorting and tidying.

A new year, a fresh start? A bit of tidying up is in order. Did you know that, according to Dominique Loreau in her excellent book "L'art de la simplicité" (The art of simplicity), if you want to be happy, you can't let consumerism get the better of you. Having space in your environment means having space in your mind. To be in harmony, she advises us to get rid of everything we no longer need. Tidying up our spaces, sorting things out, emptying things out, will help us to open our minds to new things, to set ourselves in motion for new experiences. Anything we haven't used in 6 months can disappear from our cupboards. Moving things around also means discovering them in a new way, from a different angle.

We wish you a great start to 2022, full of new projects and happy goals!

For the Séniorlife team, Sophie Mercier