Are Post-Holiday Blues Real? Try These Strategies To Beat The Blues

Christmas… Hanukkah… New Year… one holiday after the other, they are super fun and festive yet come with post-holiday blues. With the holiday season being over, we go back to our usual routines, which might make us feel low or stressed. These post-holiday blues will be chasing us for a little while until we realize it’s the end of the month and we have not followed our set resolutions for another year. To be more productive and achieve our goals, let’s keep reading this article to learn how to manage post-holiday blues.

What Are Post-Holiday Blues?

Post-holiday blues are the short-time feelings of sadness, anxiety, lack of motivation, or mental distress that one feels after the holidays.

This is generally faced when a person returns from holidays and struggles with the hustle-bustle routine of managing the regular work. Detachment from family after holidays, financial distress, and lifestyle changes might lead to post-holiday blues.

Signs And Symptoms Of Post-Holiday Blues

Post-holiday blues are usually linked with an emotional slump, and you could end up feeling some of these signs:

Sadness – Post-holiday blues might cause prolonged feelings of sadness as you do not wish to return to work after endless joy and adventure.
Regret – You might regret wasting money on things that weren’t worthy or actions that weren’t appropriate after coming back.
Loneliness – The sudden solitude after being surrounded by family and friends throughout the festival season might make you feel lonely.
Stress – You might be stressed about your work and finances once you get back to your routine.
Depression – Loneliness, regrets, and anxiety after holidays might result in depression for a few people.
Trouble Falling Asleep – With parties, celebrations, and traveling, your circadian rhythm might get disturbed, and you could face sleep deprivation or insomnia.

Reasons For Post-Holiday Blues

From stressful work schedules to struggling to make financial decisions, here are a few reasons that might cause post-holiday sadness:

Lifestyle Shifts – Too much alcohol, overeating, or mindless eating practices by avoiding exercises can make you feel lethargic, affecting your overall mood and might cause post-holiday blues.
Social Detachment – During your festival celebrations or holiday vacations, you may be surrounded by people – partying, attending events, or celebrating with family and friends. Once you return to your routine, you miss the euphoria and feel the blues.
Adjustments towards Routine – Returning from fun and happy experiences to a daily grind becomes difficult for some people and might cause stress and anxiety.
Unrealistic Expectations – During the holiday season, we start to have unrealistic expectations, resulting in dissatisfaction when those expectations aren’t met.
Financial Stress – Overspending on gifts, costly trips, or on unnecessary expenses during holidays might put a dent in your wallets and make you feel stressed about your finances once you get back from the holidays. This might result in post-holiday distress.
Anticipation for the Next Vacation – We are never satisfied with what we have! And once we are back from our holidays, we start thinking about our next vacation; this makes us gloomy and unmotivated towards work.

Tips To Fight Post-Holiday Blues

Post-holiday blues are common, and we understand! So here are some tips that could help mitigate your blues and get back to your routine:

Exercise – Stretching yourself helps to pump oxygen into your brain, giving you energy and keeping you away from stress and anxiety. Exercise also releases endorphins – the feel-good hormones which help to enlighten your mood.
Have a Good Sleep – Holidays might have distorted your sleep routine and led to depression. So get your 7-8 hours of beauty sleep to stay recharged so you can successfully get back to your daily routine.
Eat Healthy – A balanced diet with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, pulses, and meat helps boost your energy and reduce stress. It gives your body the necessary vitamins and helps you focus on your work, beating the holiday blues.
Spend Time in Nature – Nature is healing. Gardening or spending time amidst the greenery is a natural therapy that can decrease stress and improve your mood.
Self-Care Routine – Start a new habit to keep yourself engaged and happy. You could try Yoga, Meditation, or Journaling to focus on your mental health. You may learn a new language or skill, try cooking, start a new skin-care routine, or declutter your adobe to help you stay organized.
Plan for Something Interesting – A weekend trip, a get-together with friends, shopping, a dinner date with your partner, movie nights, or planning for your next vacation can give you the adrenaline rush you need to get back to work and beat the holiday blues.
Connect with Family and Friends – Communicate with your family and friends and confess how you feel. Having someone to hear and support you is a great feeling and helps you reduce your anxiety.
Take Medical Assistance – If you feel low after following all these practices, you might be suffering from depression, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), or any other mental distress. If your feelings get prolonged, seek medical aid to stay away from an emotional slump.

Related Article: 18 Fun Winter Activities That Can Keep You Warm

Post-holiday blues are normal. Understanding them and planning ahead of the holidays is the best way to overcome them. But if you haven’t planned it, our tips could help you fight them. And still, if you feel worse, understand it’s time to meet your physician.