Holiday Recouping
Holiday recouping is not something that people like to think about as they get ready for the holiday season. When you think of the holidays what are somethings that come up? Family, gifts, schedule, breaks, tasks, stress?
The holiday planning appears to start maybe the week of or before Thanksgiving and doesn’t end until after New Year’s Day. So, this could be almost a month and half, depending on your schedule. That’s a long time to be in a mode of high stress and expectations. This isn’t counting the day-to-day stress that you will have from work, kids (if you have them), partner etc. Based on WebMD
everyone has day to day stress but how much is too much? Here are some signs they have pointed out
that you may have too much stress.
-Depression or anxiety
-Anger, irritability, or restlessness
-Feeling overwhelmed, unmotivated, or unfocused
-Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
-Racing thoughts or constant worry
-Problems with your memory or concentration
-Making bad decisions
With the amount of stress that starts in November and ends in January, the days after the holidays can
feel super freeing or like something is missing. When your brain is struggling with stress management
and recouping from events you can feel even more depressed or feel like you are missing something.
There is a term of post-holiday blues. When there is a drastic change from interaction overload to doing
nothing can cause a feeling of lack fulfillment. Even though the holidays can be super stressful there are
times when you are around people you may have not seen in a while and enjoy spending time with your
family and friends.
When you go back to the “grind” your brain may make things feel worse than they
are. This is because you’re comparing your mundane day to day to exciting events. This can happen
after vacations, weddings, or other big events that cause a drastic contrast from having a lot of fun to
not. If you already experience some form anxiety or depression this can increase the post-holiday blues.
Here are some ways to help with holiday recouping:
Self-Care
Self-care can be described as doing something that you want and like to do. This can look like reading a
book, watching your favorite show/movie, exercise, prayer, or meditation etc. Taking time to do things
that are for you will help fill your emotional cup. This also provides a since of self-love which increases
confidence.
Take Your Time
Knowing that you are not your full self you may want to give yourself grace to adjust to the day-to-day.
This could mean not saying yes to all the asks that come after the holidays from friends, family, and
work. Also, be patient with yourself to engage without pressure to do. Listen to what your body wants.
Build Anticipation
Since the holidays can be filled with getting to the date, it may be good to build some anticipation of
doing something fun. This could be a short trip, future goal of engagements with others or something
simple to have a meal with someone you have not seen or want to see sooner rather than later. By
building anticipation there is something to look forward to in the future and then the days don’t appear
to be so mundane.
Seek Help
If you find yourself in a space where you have tried everything and feel defeated, seek professional help.
Talking with a therapist can be helpful during times of readjustment and gaining tools to help with day-
to-day tasks.
It can be very stressful to recoup after the holidays. Make sure that you give yourself the time to recharge before you focus on accomplishing the goals that you have for the upcoming year!
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