5 Steps to Overcoming the Post Holiday Blues

Forget about the song, ‘Blue Christmas’. It’s not Christmas that is ‘blue’ for me. It is the days after the Holiday. I find myself feeling sad and empty. Days are short and dark. Nights are long and even darker.

As a child I remember the dreariness of our living room after the Christmas tree was taken down. I missed the sparkling lights. Everything looked so ordinary. Where had the magic gone?

Today, I reflect: Not only is the fun over, it is time to make a list of New Year’s resolutions. I find myself resisting the pressure to ‘get going’, to set goals, to improve myself. And, then I notice a sense of guilt that I am not focused enough. Not like most others who seem to be eagerly planning for the new year. Going to the gym every day and starting their projects. I feel like a misfit.

As I sit here this first week of January, I realize I have a choice to make. I can wallow in my despair. Or, I can take action to follow a path of joy.

That is what I am choosing to do. Perhaps you are someone who experiences some sadness or hopelessness at this time of year. If so, Keep Reading! I invite you to explore for yourself what might support you in enjoying these first days of the New Year.

Here are 5 steps to overcoming the post-holiday blues.

1. Be aware of your experience

Notice your mood and give it a name. Are you sad, mad, upset, disappointed? What are you thinking about? What is happening in your body? What is it that you want?

In my case, I named my sadness. I was remembering the fun of the holiday and thinking how ‘blah’ things seemed now. I was lethargic and my body felt sluggish. I wanted to crawl into bed and forget about my ‘to do’ list.

2. Accept where you are at

This is not a time to judge yourself for your experience. Be an observer and be okay               with what you are noticing. If you can simply notice, without judging, you will move through the emotions so much faster!

I stopped comparing myself to others who were having a different experience from me. Instead of making myself wrong for being low energy and out of sorts, I gave myself permission to be okay just as I was.

3. Love yourself with kind words

This can be the most challenging step to take. And, until you speak kindly to yourself and treat yourself with compassion, nothing will change.

I imagined how I might comfort a close friend who was feeling down. I told myself I was going to be okay. I was not a lazy person, and I could take my time easing into the new year and its challenges.

4. Love yourself with kind actions

This is the follow up to kind words. Think about what might make you feel better. Not what others might suggest. What is it you want? It could be nourishing food, a massage, a nap or a talk with a trusted friend.

I know that if I am tired everything seems worse. I get extraordinarily sensitive and reactive. So, I took a nap and then read a book, rather than pushing myself to exercise. My journal is a trusted friend, and I felt so much better after writing about my experience.

5. Scrap the New Year’s Resolutions

This may seem like an unreasonable idea. What would the year end up like if there were no resolutions?

Take a moment and consider another option. What might it be like to look at your plans for the new year from a place of gratitude and possibility rather than a list of ways to improve yourself?

Try this. Set your timer for 5 minutes and write down what was great about 2015. No editing or overthinking, just whatever comes up for you as you reflect. Then, as you are in a place of gratitude for all you have experienced, what do you want to have happen in 2016?

Take another 5 minutes to write down your dreams and desires for the new year. As you focus on the values that bring you joy and satisfaction, the details will fall into place.

I have done this practice and have found that my goals are met as I take actions to support my longing to feel joy and satisfaction. I wait until I am rested and ready to do this exercise, so take a nap, have a yummy meal and have fun!

I feel a sense of hope and possibility as I write this. I send you best wishes for a new year filled with increased awareness and acceptance of yourself. And, a heaping measure of self compassion and joy!

Leave a comment to let us know how you are navigating these early days of the new year. I would love to hear from you!