Handling post holiday blues

The “Most Wonderful Time of the Year” is more often than not followed by the “I Can’t Stand Reality” post-holiday blues.

Family has gone home along with all the excitement and anticipation of the holidays, the cheerful laughter and the plate after plate of yummy goodies.

Many people suffer from post-holiday blues, that crash that can leave you feeling tired, under the weather and depressed.

Psychologists say these blues are quite common, but they aren’t serious depression that could warrant medications. Instead, its irritability, difficulty concentrating and really not wanting to go back to work or any other routine thing.

Let’s face it, your brain has gone from being amped-up with expectations of the holiday season and now this let down is known as the contrast effect. The contrast effect is a point where your brain has to adjust between radically different experiences.

For many people, along with post-holiday blues, they suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) which adds to the problem. SAD is based on your body’s sensitivity to the lack of light during the winter months.

There are people who really suffer with SAD in areas where it gets dark especially early and where there is cold weather. Sunlight is a key part of your body’s production of serotonin and studies have found that one in six people are affected by it.

Psychotherapists also tell us part of the issue may come from the face we put on during the holidays – always cheerful, perky and perfect – that slips off once the holidays are over. We kind of fall apart after the excitement is over which can lead to a depressive low.

While you may not have taken a refreshing beach vacation over Christmas or New Years, there will probably be at least one friend or co-worker who has and they have to tell you all about it, leaving you even more depressed that your “stay-cation” wasn’t all it was supposed to be.

So now that we know what symptoms are, that its not really dangerous and what possible triggers could be, what do we do about it?

First of all, take care of yourself. You’ve just completed several weeks of sweets, fats and alcohol so now is the time to get back to a healthier diet with reasonable proportions and a regular bedtime.

We’ve been going full speed for quite some time, so a relaxing bath or even spending five more minutes in that hot shower will help you begin to feel better.

Maybe you missed that holiday vacation, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start planning a vacation of your own. Think about somewhere you’d really like to go and put some time in each day researching all the great things you can do while you’re there. Giving yourself something to look forward to can be a great boost to a bad mood.

And don’t beat yourself up if you’ve gained a few pounds over the holidays. A walk in the cool, crisp winter air can not only help with losing that extra helping of mashed potatoes and gravy, the fresh air can enhance your mood and make you feel more energized.

The biggest thing to remember is this feeling is not going to last forever. For most people, two or three weeks of post-holiday depression is completely normal and you’ll be back to your cheery self in no time.