Ever feel the post holiday blues after they wind down? You spend all this time preparing, decorating, cooking, shopping, wrapping. And then it’s all over in a few days. Kinda depressing.
The stores clearance sales start, trees go on the curb, fruit cakes get thrown out. And we roll into the end of winter which does not bring half as much joy as the first half. January is usually colder. Driving to work in snow storms is less than appealing. January is also the month when you start to think winter will never end when you wake up to see mother nature dumped another nine inches of snow on your lawn in the middle of the night.
(If you live in the south, I am jealous and secretly hate you)
There are things we can do to prevent the holiday blues from happening. But we need to realize when we have fallen or are falling into a pit of heaviness. I feel like I need to keep trying different stuff until I find my ticket hobby that really sticks and I enjoy learning. If you are learning something new because a friend, partner, or spouse likes it, and you don’t care for it, it’s only going to be miserable for you and you won’t want to actually put the time in and get good at the thing.
Here are a few things that have worked for me:
Invest in a hobby to keep you busy when you can’t get outside. See my article on knitting, if you are interested in that. Don’t knock it till you try it. Starting something you have been wanting to for awhile takes up time and you feel accomplished when you see progress.
Get outside! I was terrified of skiing and mostly because I’d never done it. After a few bunny hills, I was addicted! After the first time I feel and didn’t knock myself out with my ski, it was very exhilarating. Get out and try something terrifying! The fresh air will do your mind good.
Pick up a side job! If you need something to fill your time, get a part time job doing something you have always wanted to try. Or a mindless coffee shop job to help you mentally wind down from your stressful full time job. I used to work at a country club and it was one of the most fun jobs I’d ever had. Besides old rich ladies yelling at me for not knowing the soup of the day, it had a great staff and sometimes the bartender slipped me drinks.
Volunteer- Take yourself and/or your kids and find somewhere that might need help sorting, feeding the homeless, walking dogs, etc. Helps to remember those who are less fortunate and a great lesson for kids who have it all.
Write a letter. When was the last time you received a letter? It really is a lost art. My mom and I have wrote letters for the last 15 years. It’s therapeutic. You start out with a simple hello and then before you realize it, you’re 10 pages in talking about your childhood dog and work gossip.
Hot yoga. Doesn’t that sound lovely when it’s so cold out? Relaxing and makes you feel like you’re having a mini vacation. Stretching and exercise releases endorphins and we all know endorphins are good for your mental health.
Working out in general is a great way to feel better instantly. Sure it’s freezing out and no part of you wants to put your heart into overdrive. But the feeling you get after is totally worth the work. I moved a few years ago and was far in the country and didn’t want to hike to the gym when it snowed like crazy. I slowly started to piece together a garage gym with things from Facebook Marketplace and online sales. Now I have a pretty decent setup for the things I like to work out. Start small and keep moving forward!
Go back to school! Winer is the best time for this. There is not much going on and you don’t feel bad for studying. Versus when it’s summer, and you are missing out on all the fun activities that usually happen when a pandemic doesn’t ruin it.
Hope this brought some light and motivation to your cold wintery soul. Post holiday blues can definitely bring you down and in a depressed state. Let’s stop it before that happens this year. Drink coffee, get moving, and try something new!
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