How to cope with post-holiday blues

Pamela Drake

It’s January and back to business as usual. Why do some people feel like they’re in a slump after the holiday season — with depression, irritability and low energy?

A month of holiday celebrations that includes gatherings and time spent with families can cause stress and intense emotions, not to mention constitute a big departure from routines. That can make the return to day-to-day life feel like a major letdown. If nothing else, the change in rhythms can be jarring.

The holidays can amplify issues, including loneliness and financial strains. Add family tensions and grief to end-of-year work deadlines, and it’s a recipe for distress. No wonder there can be profound effects on biological and psychological well-being. Unrealistic expectations for the holidays also can trigger post-holiday blues.

Family dynamics during the holidays can cause unpleasant experiences. Spending time with family, especially those you don’t see on a regular basis, can bring back like a time warp past negative patterns. Recognizing those patterns and keeping unhealthy emotions separate can help lessen tensions.

Overindulgence can also make the holidays difficult. Overeating contributes to weight gain as well as irregular sleep and metabolic dysfunctions. There’s also the guilt and regret. Excessive drinking results in increased levels of stress hormones and disrupted sleep, also a contributor to depression.

Unlike clinical depression, post-holiday blues are usually short-lived. Common post-holiday emotions and conditions include: anxiety, changes in appetite, depression, fatigue, inability to concentrate, insomnia, irritability, lack of motivation, sense of loss and stress.

Here are some tips to help cope with the post-holiday blues:

Change your mindset with gratitude and remind yourself of those things in your life for which you’re grateful.

Take care of yourself, ensuring you get quality sleep and maintain a healthy diet. Re-establish good self-care to keep yourself emotionally on track. Stick to a routine with sleep and meals.

Engage in physical activity to stimulate those feel-good chemicals called endorphins and set goals to improve your mental outlook.

Communicate with trusted friends or a therapist about your feelings to gain support and avoid bottling up emotions.

Schedule time for fun and social interactions to enhance well-being. This provides something to which to look forward.

Enjoy nature. The outdoors increases well-being.

Watch funny movies. Humor and laughter reduce stress.

Be nice to yourself. Be patient. Don’t try to do more than your energy level allows.

If family discord is an issue, do your best to maintain positive relationships without guilt or anger.

Employers can also play a role in helping their employees:

Remind employees about employee assistance programs and other benefits.

Keep communication open and offer holiday stress relief tips.

Check in with employees to see how they’re doing and identify any potential issues early so assistance can be provided.

Help employees set priorities and provide extra assistance if needed to address mental health issues that arise.

Post-holiday blues and depression are different for everyone and usually short-lived. But if a person continues to struggle with loneliness or unhappiness, these emotions could signal clinical depression and the need to seek professional help.