Is anyone else taking loud exhales now that Christmas is over? I feel like many of us are doing this together. Our day-to-day leading up to Christmas was downright chaotic, at times.
Many of you felt like there was this race against time to get those last-minute gifts or felt sadness over not being able to afford gifts for all of your loved ones.
Post-holiday blues is a fairly new term to me because so much emphasis is placed on holiday blues versus tools to help combat feelings of sadness after the holiday passes.
In my previous post about your hopes and dreams, I talked a lot about goal setting and why you deserve to feel excited about next year’s goals this holiday season.
But, what if your post-holiday depression is making it difficult for you to spend any time goal setting?
Is Post-Christmas Depression Real?
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, post-Christmas blues is very much a real thing that affects so many Americans.
64% of people with mental illness or who experienced depression report holidays make their conditions worse.
NAMI asserts that those experiencing post-vacation blues after a holiday trip with family and overall having a decreased sense of being in the holiday spirit are perfectly normal and can last up to two weeks.
Although, holiday blues should not be taken lightly. Sadness before or after the holiday lasting more than two weeks can lead to clinical depression.
As I’ve already mentioned, blues on a holiday is a normal feeling but so is being in a depression funk weeks or months after the holidays.
For many who struggle with mental illness year-round, the holidays place a huge emphasis on being jolly, consuming alcohol, spending more money, etc.
How To Cope With Post-Christmas Blues?
In the busyness of the holiday season, simplicity is all many of us long for. Our mental health needs a break from time to time.
Enough with the sad holiday quotes and movies or returning home from a holiday party sad, what can one do when they are in the holiday funk?
1. Turn down any future or current party invites
With New Year’s coming up next, is it really worth being in a bad mood at a place you don’t want to be just to say you did something for the holiday?
If it doesn’t make you happy, just say no. Your peace of mind means more.
2. Schedule A Therapy Appointment After The Holidays
Be proactive now. A year from now, I would say, scheduling one before and after the holidays will leave you feeling confident when navigating the holiday space.
But if you have a tendency to google, how to get in the Christmas spirit when depressed? You probably should be making your mental health a priority now.
There are a number of triggers that can lead one to feel depressed but help mitigate those feelings lingering after the holidays by doing something now about it.
It can happen to anyone. Get good with a therapist and ask them to give you some actionable tools to help with those post-holiday blues.
3. Engage In Self-Care Practices
I have a bunch of blog posts that mention self-care products or current skincare routines. Find a new activity that can keep you busy while addressing your wellness needs.
In fact, when you subscribe here on the blog, you’re sent a self-care freebie straight to your inbox.
There are so many things you could do within the comfort of your home without feeling the need to entertain others or attend social functions.
Self-care practices are different for each person but if you’ve been forgetting about yourself then now is the time to reignite those practices and do some self-discovery work.
4. Commit To Baking Or Cooking One New Food A Week
See, no pressure. You don’t have to go all out and become a pastry chef in a week but have some fun during the holidays by caving into your cravings.
I have some delicious recipes on the blog that include brown sugar cookies, chai tea, sweet potato muffins. Need I go on?
One of my guilty pleasures this year has been baking, which has kept the holiday chaos at bay for sure.
No More Sad Quotes
Now that the days of reading sad quotes and listening to sad music to reinforce our holiday blues are over, what practical tips will you be taking away to use right away?
