The guests are gone, and the holidays are over. For some people, returning to everyday life is a tremendous relief.
For others, it can be hard. Returning to your normal groove can be difficult after the excitement of the holidays. You can feel down or just off-center. It’s a phenomenon that is recognized as post-holiday stress or blues.
“The holidays offer most people a time to focus their energy on the task of decorating, baking, planning and gift giving,” said psychologist Nicole Hollingshead. “After the holidays are over, people may feel lost or empty without having a goal-driven activity to help them to focus.”
If you feel out of sorts, there are ways to help yourself as we move into this new, wonderful year!
Recognizing the problem is part of the battle. Going back to our humdrum lives can be a letdown after holiday fun. It’s hard when the decorations get put away, and our loved ones go home. Holidays also remind us of the loved ones who aren’t with us as they are no longer a part of our lives. You can ignore that when people are around, but once the parties are over, you can feel lonely with the reminder of their passing. The dark, cold weather also impacts mood. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is caused by dark, short days. Symptoms can be ignored with all the cheer of the holidays and come back in full force after the fun dries up.
The exhaustion of shopping, cooking and spending time together catches up to you and drains your internal batteries. Your healthy diet may have taken a back seat in the last couple of weeks. And, there is the possibility that you are dealing with disappointment. If you looked forward to the holidays and they didn’t play out the way you thought they would, you may be grappling with some depression.
Getting outside during daylight and taking a 12-minute walk can boost your mood. It gets you moving, it gets you sunlight and it helps. If it’s too cold out, walking on a treadmill can help and be sure to get light as early in the day as possible. Force yourself back into your routine as much as possible. It might seem counterintuitive. But humans are creatures of habit; we thrive on routine, and it lowers stress and aids sleeping patterns. Get off of social media for a while. There is a barrage of pictures on social media of smiling grandchildren and perfect turkeys that can make you feel bad about yourself. Guess what? Two of the grandchildren vomited after the picture was taken, and photos of the pie weren’t included because it was burned! Social media isn’t real life. We all forget it. But it lowers our self-esteem and harms our self-image.
It’s essential to take care of yourself. Stop putting off doctor’s appointments and routine things you do for yourself that got shoved to the side during the holidays. And look at your diet to ensure you are eating right! Now is also the perfect time to take up a new hobby. There aren’t any holidays or big events right around the corner; you have time to learn a skill and focus on growing yourself!
Give yourself time to breathe and move on. If this is unlike you, it will most likely pass. It can take a little time to settle back into normalcy. But, if you are struggling, you should reach out for help. If you are feeling overwhelmed, fraught or depressed, speak to the people around you or seek professional help. Remember that people want to help you!
