After the flurry of opening gifts and stuffing your face with your favorite holiday meals, it is no surprise that many of us get the post holiday season blues. Colorful lights all over town, decorations throughout your home, and days filled with family are truly enjoyable. However, like all good things, the season comes to an end. Here are a few tips to avoid the post holiday blues.
1. Take your time– This time of year it is okay to be a little lazy. Take your time putting away your Christmas ornaments and stockings. There is no rush! Keeping your home filled with your favorite decorations will keep the holiday spirit alive a little bit longer!
2. Eat right – Over the last few days you have probably indulged more than a time or two in your favorite desserts. C’mon, who can resist that delicious pumpkin pie or mountains of chocolate treats? Although these are tasty indulgences, trying to get back to your normal eating schedule and healthier options will make you feel better physically.
3. Get moving – The best and worst feeling during the holiday season is that post Christmas meal food coma. Although you are stuffed to the brim with delicious food, the thought of moving is one we would rather not entertain. But try to get back into your regular exercise routines by starting small! Take your dog for a walk, or park far away from the mall entrance when you go to return gifts. These little acts of exercise will make you look and feel better.
4. Don’t be SAD – There is an actual disorder that results from this time of year. If you think that the darkness and cold weather is making you feel a little sadder than usually you may be suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Try not to let the colder seasons get you down and make sure to catch some sunshine on the days it peeks through the clouds.
5. Get social – The holiday season is usually filled with hours on end of family time. Since we only have a few weeks before returning for the spring semester, make sure to reach out to your old high school friends. Nothing is better than spending time with someone not related to you, after days on end with the whole motley crew.
6. Volunteer – During the holidays there is a lot of hype about volunteering, but those needs do not just disappear in January. There are still many people in need of assistance and if you’ve got the time on your hands, look up local volunteer opportunities in your area. If you are feeling blue, helping someone else can lift you out of the post holiday glooms.
7. You’ve got the time…now use it! – Now that the holiday madness has died down you have the time to do all the things you said you would this winter break. Try out that new banana bread recipe, create a scrapbook, or read that book that has been collecting dust on your bookshelf. Winter break is the time to do all the relaxing activities that you dreamt about while studying for finals, so now go out and do them!