February Is the New January!

Still not feeling that new-year excitement? That's because forcing productivity during the darkest months is a losing battle. Would it make you feel better to learn that January and February were once considered such black holes of nothingness that they did not appear on the calendar *at all*?

In this episode, we're declaring that February is the new January. We discuss the history of the calendar, why January is the worst time to start anew, and how modern life works against our natural rhythms.

We also discuss the Lunar New Year, how the Year of the Snake has a few more weeks before we enter the Year of the Horse, and how we're going to use our February for reflection, not reinvention.

Keep resting! You're a mammal!

Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode:

• Our Fresh Take with Dr. Greg Hammer
• Our Fresh Take with Katherine May
• Annie Scott on Substack: The Wankery Verdict: New Year, New You!
• Erin Blakemore for National Geographic: The new year once started in March—here's why
• Aadrika Sominder for The Hindustan Times: As the Year of the Snake ends, the Year of the Horse begins: Here's what this Chinese zodiac transition means for you
• r/LTL_Chinese: Year of the Fire Horse 2026 🐎 What does it mean for you
• Stacey Durnin for Medium: Why January is a terrible time to make resolutions

What Fresh Hell is co-hosted by Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson.

We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website:

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