So many people talk about January being the most depressing month of the year. The excitement of the holidays is over and the depths of winter are upon us. But what really are the post holiday blues and do we really dread them?
We think of the holidays as a time for family, togetherness and joy. Sitting around the fire, roasting chestnuts and opening gifts. And if the holidays are indeed a time for joy then surely when they pass and we get back to our ordinary, everyday lives we will feel a let down. We may feel sad not knowing when we will see our grandchildren or grandparents again. The excitement of looking forward to something has passed.
However, for many, the holidays can be a stressful and even painful time of year. Few of us have “Brady Bunch” families, so seeing relatives that we either don’t like or we feel don’t like us can be far from joyful. We may fear being judged by our life choices, our parenting styles or even more relevant, our political views. Innocent talk or inquires can quickly lead to heated arguments and hurt feelings. And with lots of alcohol around at such gatherings, those trying to stay sober may find it to be even more challenging.
Even navigating the scheduling of holiday events can be overwhelming. For divorced parents it is particularly challenging with each parent trying to carve out special time with the children. Not to mention the stress for the children of divorced parents as they try to divide up their holiday into little neat evenly divided pieces.
But most of all, for those that may feel cheated out of time with family for the holidays, who end up at the receiving end of apologies for not being able to get together, the holidays are filled with resentment, disappointment and loneliness.
Perhaps, the end of the holiday season is not full of blues but rather a time of relief, of honor for your accomplishment of getting through the season and moving ahead into the new year.
So as you move into 2018 here are a few things to consider:
1. You made it! If your holidays were indeed joyful and fulfilling, take some time to reflect on that, acknowledge your feelings of sadness that it is over but also try to have gratitude for the wonderful experience you had.
2. If your holidays fell short of your expectations, acknowledge your feelings, allow yourself time to feel disappointed but don’t beat yourself up.
3. Get back to your routine. Regular exercise, work and good nutrition are all important ways to get yourself moving forward.
4. Make plans. Plan fun activities with your kids, date night with your spouse and outings with friends. Surround yourself with people that positively impact your life. Connect with relatives that you want to see more than just at the holidays.
If you balance your life all year long, you will feel less pressure during the holiday’s to make it perfect because it only comes once a year!