How to Kick Your Post-Holiday Blues
How to Kick Your Post-Holiday Blues
You’ve opened all the presents, recovered from food comas, and uploaded your holiday photos to Instagram. But now that the trimmings are gone and parties are over, are you feeling down? It might come as no surprise that seasonal blues often reach their peak once the festivities have ended.“As joyous as they can be, the stress and expectations associated with the holidays can overwhelm us and switch our brains into overdrive,” says Brett Kennedy, a clinical psychologist based in Colorado. Fatigue sets in, our motivation to get to the gym dwindles, our drive to tackle unanswered emails is sapped, and our bodies reel from overindulging in food and drink. Luckily, it doesn't have to be that way. We've rounded up the best tips for kicking the post-holiday blues so you can get through the rest of winter happily.
Post-Holiday Blues Causes (and How to Beat Them)
1. Staying constantly connected.
"People expect to feel refreshed when they come back from a holiday,” says Amanda Itzkoff, M.D., a psychiatrist at Manhattan’s Mount Sinai Hospital. But here’s the reality of a world where emails and texts follow us everywhere: Holiday vacations aren’t always restful.We need a break from constantly checking our devices in order to decompress and bring down our cortisol levels. He recommends setting up periods of tech-free times—say, at the dinner table, where a “no-phone zone” enables you to reconnect with family and practice being present. Or try scheduling some hour-long breaks in your day to disconnect, take a walk, call a friend, or meditate.
2. Food-frenzied festivities.
“We get into this mindset of, 'I have to try this, or that, or everything,'" says Lauren Graf, R.D., of the Montefiore Medical Center's Cardiac Wellness Program. “We overindulge either because we feel pressured to put everything on our plate or because we feel we’ve blown it anyway—it’s the holidays, let’s just eat junk.”When we relinquish this self-control, we set ourselves up for failure. Not only do we feel a wave of post-binge guilt, Graf says, but we spike our insulin levels when we overeat. The higher those insulin levels go, the more drastically our blood sugar crashes in the hours after a meal. And that leaves us tired, moody, irritable, and hankering for even more sugar. Pulling your diet back toward healthy foods will help pull your mood back into alignment as well, but there are pitfalls with doing a fast-and-furious food-180 (more on that below).
3. Not cutting ourselves some slack.
After weeks of indulging in sugary, fatty desserts, skimping on fruits and veggies, and forgoing the gym, it will take some effort to resume a healthier regimen.“Your first week back from the holidays is about readjusting and resuming your regular routine,” Itzkoff says. “Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t check off all the items on your to-do list the first day back at work. Another tip: Avoid making your healthier diet entirely about elimination. Alternatively, “Think about adding a veggie to every meal,” Itzkoff says. You’ll naturally scale back on the bad stuff if you prioritize the good.”
4. Facing a blank January calendar.
Scheduling some fun activities for the New Year can be a helpful boost to our mood. Research shows that having things to look forward to keeps us happy. A movie night with friends, a nice dinner out, a relaxing massage, or a day hike may be all it takes. It’s the anticipation of fun that counts.
The Takeaway
With the holidays over and work in full swing, many of us might experience dips in mood, motivation, and energy. Getting back on track takes a few weeks, so take it easy as you transition back to a normal routine. Avoid lofty expectations, schedule fun outings to look forward to, and don’t forget to unplug!Greatist.com by NOVEMBER 5, 2015 | BY KATHERINE SCHREIBERImage courtesy of Prakairoj at FreeDigitalPhotos.net