4 tips for handling the post-holiday blues
Everyone is relieved when the holidays are over, and sometimes disappointed. If you’re exhausted, it’s worth taking the time to recharge a bit and pamper yourself. Here are four simple tips for handling these common blues:
*If you are disappointed and the holiday let you down in any way, please process that first. Write in your journal, talk to a supportive friend or family member, and discuss your feelings. Understand why you were disappointed and what you are going to do to avoid that scenario in the future. (If Uncle Harry got drunk and ruined the holiday dinner, he considers not serving alcoholic beverages.) If the problem was big (your boyfriend dumped you, someone died, you received bad news over the holidays), then consider seeking help from a good therapist or support group, don’t deal with the tragic news alone.
* If you’re tired of all the celebrating, cooking, and prepping, consider pampering yourself. If you have the budget for it, take a spa day or a night in a hotel. If the budget is skyrocketing, then get together with friends and get manicures or makeovers. Book a night in with your husband or boyfriend for a massage, a DVD and popcorn, or just to hang out together, without all the company. Take a nap, a bubble bath, or a day off to do nothing. Picnic in the living room with your kids and pets.
* It’s a new year: consider freshening up with something different. Try a different hair color, a new makeup, a new exercise routine, or take some (inexpensive) dance lessons or pottery or art classes at your local Parks and Recreation Department, Community College Adult School, or your church or Jewish Community Center.
* Have some fun. You’ve just spent two months doing complicated things: planning family vacations, buying gifts, cooking, shopping, and entertaining. Do something very easy that is fun for you. Take a bike ride on the beach or river, read a new novel, watch your favorite comedy movie, hang out with your best friend for coffee, email your friends a funny YouTube video, play with your kids or pets.
If your post-holiday blues are perennial or run in the family, you might benefit from making an appointment to meet with a therapist. Families can benefit from therapy when experiencing any stressful event that may affect family relationships, such as financial difficulties, divorce, or the death of a loved one.