After all the celebrations, dinner parties, and fun times during the holiday season, exhaustion creeps in and the happy feelings fade away. Even though the holidays are a fun time to celebrate, there’s also a lot of stress and anxiety that come with it, and the pandemic hasn’t made it easier to deal with this year. 

Post-Holiday Blues are also known as post-vacation syndrome. The slump can hit hard after a period of intense emotion or stress. Some of the symptoms that can be experienced are insomnia, low energy, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. This distress is short-lived rather than long-term.

The adrenaline that comes down after the holidays come to an end is the main reason as to why this happens. Emotional exhaustion also plays a big role in the post-holiday blues. Being away from close relatives during the season, feeling guilty for eating too much, or dealing with any toxic attitudes from someone take up a lot of energy and create an impact on your aftermath feelings. 

Take care of yourself. Your sleep schedule may have been distorted during this time, so try to give your body the needed rest to feel better. food and alcohol may have left you feeling down, so try to get back to a healthy lifestyle. Fill your body with the nutrients it needs to function and give it exercise to celebrate its strength. At the same time, it’s important not to put yourself down for getting off the tracks with your diet during the holidays. Eating a big bowl of mac and cheese won’t make you gain weight, the same as a salad won’t make you lose weight; it’s a process and it takes time, so go easy on yourself. 

Schedule time for things you enjoy. Looking at your empty planner after all the holiday parties may be a bit depressing. Plan activities you enjoy with people that are going to help cheer you up; it can be something as simple as going for a walk with your best friend (staying socially distanced of course). 

It’ll get better eventually, and you’ll be back on your feet the sooner you think.