London, Paris, Milan... it's all in a day's work for internationally successful Irish model January Russell Winters. The striking redhead, whose father was a member of Birmingham punk band The Swell Mob in the 70s, has worked on campaigns for Armani and has been outspoken about the pressures placed on young models to by the fashion industry to lose weight. “Paris is the absolute worst,” she told the Sunday Independent in an interview earlier this year.
She is signed with Morgan The Agency, with whom she works extensively in Dublin. Having studied Fashion Design for her college degree, January has worked creating and styling for TV, film, theatre and music videos. She spends her time messing backstage at fashion shows, walking the red carpet at movie premieres, playing dress-up at music festivals and hitting up the fashion capitals of the world. Taking the name ‘Gold & Bold’ from the many times she's erupted into Spandeau Ballets GOLD and being generally bold and unruly, she decided to start a blog to keep note of her latest escapades. You can find it here.
1. Tell us about a typical working day.
I don’t really have a normal working day. It really depends day to day what I’m doing. But generally, I might have radio in the morning (I host a show on FRQ.fm) then I’ll have a casting or a job afterwards. When I get home I usually have a bit of work to do on my blog or with emails. Then make some dinner and hopefully have time to chill.
2. What do you do in your down time?
In my down time I usually hang out with some friends, listen to some music or watch something on the laptop. Having a movie night in my house with a glass of wine is the ideal situation.
3. How important is down time to you?
I think my downtime should be a lot more important to me. I would definitely benefit from putting it higher up on my to-do list.
4. How much down time do you get and do you prioritise it?
I don’t really have much of it but it’s something I need to do more of. I see it as such a luxury that I prioritise everything else over chilling out. I’m not very good at relaxing!
5. What do you do to unwind before bed?
Before bed I always get my things ready for the next morning. The longer I get in bed the better! I might catch up on whatever series I’m watching or read a book and light a candle. I always listen to hypnotherapy when I’m going to sleep. It helps me sleep and focus on positive things.
6. What do you like to treat yourself with that’s ‘just for you’?
Face masks, new socks, nice food, ice-cream, biscuits, I think I have a lot of treats for me but I’m not great at sharing! Calling down to my mum’s house for cuddles with my puppy beats them all though.
7. What are the signs that let you know it's time to slow down a bit or take a holiday?
Not eating right and not sleeping well are the main ones. I tend to over think a lot and stress myself out about random things and have negative thoughts. When these get too much I know it’s time to slow down and take a break. At the same time, making myself take a break is difficult. I seem to have it in my head that taking a break is being lazy and I feel guilty about it. I need to sort that out.
8. Do you pay as much attention to your mental health as you do your physical health?
I used to pay a lot more attention to my physical health over my mental health. This year I’ve made a conscious decision to look after my mental health a lot more. I’ve been reading up on ways to improve my mental state and I’ve been figuring out some ways to improve my mood when it dips.
9. How important are diet and exercise to you when it comes to maintaining good mental health?
I think it is very important and it’s definitely something I need to do more of. I’ve been concentrating on my mental health more and I’ve let my diet and exercise fall downhill. I know it does really help to clear your head and blow off some steam but it’s hard to get the motivation sometimes. Diet, exercise and happiness all work together.
10. Do you have a 'calm down quick' tip?
To calm down quickly is very hard. I normally take some deep breathes. I know that sounds corny but it definitely helps. I think a lot of your stress, worry and anxiety feels like it’s coming from your chest, like a tightness, and you can’t breathe. Just give it a few moments, take a few deep breathes, think of something pleasant and try your best to chill.
11. Do you have personal experience living with mental ill health, be it your own or a loved ones?
We all go through stages of mental ill health, it’s normal. It can be really lonely but It’s important to remember that you’re not on your own. Others have experienced it too and can help you. Just be there for someone who’s going through a bad patch.
People don’t always want to talk about their problems with everyone and that’s OK. Even ringing someone up and asking if they want to go get ice-cream or do something fun can be all they need.
Find January on Instagram @januarywinters
