Written by Online therapist Dr. Gloria Vanderhorst, Ph.D.

IT’S FEBRUARY!!!????****

Turning the Cruelest Month into a Creative One

February may be short on daylight, but it’s long on opportunity. For individuals in Maryland and DC, this post offers a humorous and heartfelt look at how to reclaim the month with intention, connection, and a little imagination. From Groundhog Day to goal-setting, here’s how to make February work for you.

When they call it the cruelest month, they are not joking. January gets the privilege of being the beginning of a new year. We pop balloons, watch The Ball drop, throw confetti, and all that lulls us into this euphoric state that lets January slip by.

Then comes February. If you live in a part of the world where the seasons change dramatically, you know exactly what I mean. February is cold. February is dark. February is emotionally the longest month of the year.

Alright, so it does start out with Groundhogs Day. Much like the movie by the same name, this month is a repeat of the same dreary experience without the humor of Bill Murray, who was very funny.
The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club that keeps this ridiculous tradition going is a real organization with a website and everything. You can have “lunch with Phil” (the groundhog himself) and attend the Gala to jitterbug or waltz the night away.

But even with all of that, it is still FEBRUARY!

Let’s make the most of it by finding things you can do:

1. Revise your holiday card list because you missed a few cousins and gained a new friend or two, so get their addresses ready for next December.
2. Plan your Spring Break vacation. What? You don’t get Spring Break anymore? Well, you can still have fun pretending you get Spring Break, and hey, it is February.
3. Look at your New Year’s resolutions and get realistic. Take off the lose 30 pounds and leave the walk around the block.
4. Call someone you really care about and tell them what they mean to you.
5. Decide to give up something that is hurting you or holding you down: maybe that 4th beer or the bag of Oreo cookies that seems to disappear in one day.
6. Think about how you want to impact those around you and make a plan that you can implement before you finish reading this.
7. Clean out that kitchen drawer or cabinet that has been bugging you for decades: buy dividers or use old cardboard boxes to organize stuff.
8. Look around and find someone you can help. Giving of ourselves is truly satisfying.
9. Shut off the TV for one night a week and use that time to read a book.
10. Write a book! You might as well; everyone else is.

If February has you feeling stuck, therapy can help you reconnect with purpose and possibility. Explore individual therapy in Maryland and DC or learn more about therapeutic approaches that support seasonal wellness and emotional clarity. For more February folklore and fun, visit The Old Farmer’s Almanac.