If ever a single day of the year gets a big build-up, it's December 25th. Literally billions of dollars are spent on gifts, advertisements, holiday food and drink, travel--and the list goes on. All culminating with, hopefully, convivial gatherings, reunited families, festive moments with friends, grinning and satisfied children, and a few moments of contemplation on the inherent goodness of our fellow earthlings.
Followed by a giant exhale and the inevitable question: now what?
After the frenzy to make the season bright, special, happy and merry, the aftermath can arrive as a letdown in contrast to the many-week build up. With no more gifts to buy or unwrap, no holiday meals to prepare, no more festive gatherings, no special foods, no cards or calls-- we ask ourselves, now what?
For some, the answer is simply, move on to the new year. Take down the tree and store the lights and ornaments until next year. Get back into the routine of work (or searching for it if you're between jobs), muddle through the mundane, toast the New Year, go on that diet--and get on with it.
For others, the void left by the holiday is harder to shake. It's the absence left by families and friends that go back home. Disappointments in holiday expectations weren't met. Frustration with the economic realities--and bills--of the coming January. And, for some, the shorter days--no longer punctuated by bright holiday lights--can bring on the blues.
What can you do? Well, here are a few ideas that might help.
Count your blessings. Yes, as down as you might feel, you are blessed. Focus on what you have. Make a list of people, circumstances and attributes you are grateful for. Write down one blessing, how ever small, on a note pad each night. At the end a year you'll have 365 notable blessings that are yours.
Reality test your self-talk. I've mentioned self-talk in a previous post. We all have self-talk, mostly without moving our lips. If you're telling yourself things that bring you down, stop and ask yourself: Is that statement really true? How accurate am I being with myself? Can I edit out any drama? And...what can I do to make things better?
If your negative self-talk isn't true, then stop it. If it is, focus on things you can do to bring the situation more into your control. If you can't do anything to change it, entertain the concept, What would it be like to accept things just as they are? And, related to finding the positive...
Surround yourself with positive people. Negative people can drag you down, making the post-holiday blues seem downright bleak. Practice being a positive person yourself, finding ways to say "yes," be cooperative and generally add to the betterment of your days and others'. Pepper your interactions with more "please" and "thank you," and less #*%&!
Start your new year as a volunteer. It doesn't really matter what you volunteer to do, just do something! Studies show that people who volunteer tend to feel significantly better about themselves than people who don't. And your activity in service to others will likely take your mind off the things that bring you down. Bag groceries for the local food bank, read to the blind, tutor the young, sit and visit with shut-ins. They will be grateful for your interest and effort--and you'll benefit far more than they.
Look forward, not back. Plan something special. It doesn't need to be expensive or lavish. Plan to visit with an old friend you've lost touch with. Pack a sandwich and eat in the park or by the beach. Set aside a little money each week--if possible--for a special treat you'd like in the future. Window shop, make your special soup and share it with a friend, plan a "me day" and pamper yourself as you're able. The looking forward to special events can be as satisfying as the events themselves.
And finally, move! Get off the couch, up out of your office chair, out from in front of the TV or computer screen--and move! Check with your doctor first to be sure that even mild exercise won't hurt you--and then just walk. Studies have shown that a brisk 20-minute walk every day can lighten your mood, and your scale! You needn't be an Olympic athlete to be a winner from the benefits of exercise. Weather in the way? Put on your favorite music and dance, march in place, sway--just move.
More on the holiday blues and winter blahs as we move into January.
Until then, Happy New Year, and thanks for listening.
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