FOR my family, January has to be the best time of year. We get to sleep in. We catch up with friends and family. We do things together. We probably eat way too much and watch all those TV series we missed during the year.

For many families, January and February can be a time when financial stress is at its worst.

It’s a time when all those bills come in at once and unexpected expenses put strain on budgets and relationships.

For those without family or friends, it can be a time when loneliness is particularly acute, when the loss of loved ones is most felt. It’s also the time of year when the daily and weekly routines that keep us going through the year take a bit of a pause, leaving a temporary but nonetheless significant void.

For those of us who suffer from sickness or ill health, it’s the time of the year when access to services can be more difficult.

For new parents dealing with infants, the heat and long sleepless nights of January can be an exhausting and emotional roller coaster ride. For the elderly, the heat can take a terrible toll.

January is usually a lot of fun for kids, but it can also be a time of anxiety for children whose family is moving address, possibly interstate, or who are anticipating starting at a new school.

For teenagers with too much time on their hands and parents who have left them at home to do their own thing, January can be a time of trouble and strife. (In passing, I have to add that I’ve come around to the conclusion that social media is an enormous sociological experiment that is going horribly wrong for many youngsters.)

Now, I know this is all a bit gloomy and I do apologise. January in Canberra is and always will be my favourite time of year.

Many of us are enjoying the summer break, but quite a few of us are in the midst of a summer breakdown. So this January why not add a New Year’s resolution to keep an eye out for others and be aware that many people around us are, for all sorts of reasons, doing it tough at the beginning of the year.