How to Beat the Post-Christmas Blues
We know the feeling all too well – the build-up to Christmas is frantically busy with lots of social events and parties happening. And then the big day arrives and then… it can all slump horribly, taking you down with it. The post-Christmas slump is something that many people feel so just how can you avoid it this year?
#1 Make a plan for the post-Christmas period
It’s wonderful to have downtime but when that feels empty and unfulfilling – and dare we say, boring?! – it is far from relaxing. Many people find that making a plan for the days and weeks after Christmas is one way of staving off the blues.
#2 The ‘no money to do anything’ slump
It’s also not uncommon to find that with the credit card maxed out and the bank account empty that being social is hard to do with no money in your pocket. January, as a result, can feel like a very long month and if you haven’t stuck to your Christmas budget, the weeks before January payday seem to stretch on forever.
Make a list of things that you can do for free or very cheaply. It could be anything from a walk in the park to a bracing picnic on the beach, to cosy nights in playing board games.
#3 Get outdoors
One thing our elves at Hire a Santa always make a point of doing after Christmas is to get outside and to enjoy the outdoors. Granted, we don’t always get the clear blue skies and crisp winter days but when it is dry, get yourself outdoors for fresh air and precious daylight. It’ll be a few more weeks before we start to see the sun a little more and the temperature starts to rise. So make use of that hat and glove set that were in your stocking and get outside to embrace winter.
#4 Dry January
We may have enjoyed it at the time but overindulgence at Christmas can leave us feeling sluggish and uncomfortable. We know that New Year resolutions are all well and good but if you want to avoid falling in the trap of buying an expensive gym membership that you’ll never news, then we have good news – you don’t need to. Anything from laying off the booze in January to giving up chocolate until February can help you feel better about yourself.
#5 Learn something new
Refreshing your take on life is important during these quiet few weeks so why not try something new or revisit something that you used to enjoy? Step away from the digital stuff, however. Why not enjoy a board game or even a jigsaw? Why not learn how to knit or learn a new language? Exercising your grey cells is a sure-fire way of giving them a boost.
#6 Be mindful
We can learn from the post-Christmas slump too, so don’t just assume that it’s because you drank too much, over indulged or argued with your family. All those things are lessons and it may be that we need to make not just short term changes to get is over the slump but bigger ones too. Like your job or your relationship. Or that next Christmas, you are going to enjoy the festive season as you have always wanted to.
