Let-downs occur after any<\/span> period of time in which there is a change of routine. Think about how it feels to go back to school after summer vacation. Many of the symptoms listed above occur during the first few hours, days or weeks of returning to school. For most children these symptom subside as routine is reestablished.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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- Don\u2019t pack away your holiday decorations so quickly!<\/strong>
Maybe you don\u2019t have to take your Christmas tree down on Christmas day. If you have a real Christmas tree and it is getting dried out, maybe you could replace it with a smaller artificial tree for another week or so.
The same goes for other holidays. Do the Halloween decorations have to go away November 1st? Do the Valentine decorations have to be gone on February 15th? Leaving decorations up for a few days after the event might extend the spirit of the holiday for you.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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- Think more about seasons than events.<\/strong>
When I think about seasons as opposed to events, I think of Salem, MA. Salem promotes having 5 seasons: winter, spring, summer, fall & \u201cHaunted Happenings\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/a> for all of October. There is a kick off parade early in October, fairs, and costume balls throughout the month, and fireworks over Salem Harbor on Halloween.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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- Focus on taking care of what you put into your body.<\/strong>
Getting out of a routine frequently includes \u201cgrazing\u201d on empty calorie celebratory foods as opposed to eating three meals a day, indulging in high calorie foods, and washing it all down with drinks like spiked eggnog or other alcohol. Returning as quickly as possible to a routine of healthy eating will do wonders for your mood.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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- Practice resilience.<\/strong>
Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity (stress from the holidays). By learning how to boost your resilience through the life cycle (childhood, adulthood and in aging), you can decrease your risk of experiencing post-holiday blues. To read more about resilience, please read my article 30 Ways to Boost Your Resilience<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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- Relive positive memories.<\/strong>
For some people who experience post-holiday blues, reliving positive memories from a holiday go a long way to elevating their mood. For example, working on a photo album or scrapbooking can help to relive the positive memories. For some people, reliving positive memories can be posting on social media.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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- Get moving.<\/strong>
Bundle up and go outside! Getting outside in the cool fresh air can do wonders for improving mood. If it is too cold to be outside, why not walk inside a mall? The idea is to get exercise, to get your blood pumping! Or if you prefer, you might try a relaxation program, or meditation or maybe even yoga.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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- Look to the future.<\/strong>
Not dwelling on what has passed is important to decreasing post-holiday blues. Develop your \u201cbucket list\u201d of things you would someday like to experience. Start planning your next vacation or start planning what you will plant in the garden next summer.
Take advantage of after-holiday sales to stock up on paper goods, decorations, cards, or even gifts for next year. Every month throughout the year buy a $25.00 (or whatever you can afford) gift certificate from somewhere. When Christmas, Hanukah or even birthdays roll around, you will be prepared!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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- Read Crush Your Stress: 302 Coping Skills for Managing Your Stress.<\/em><\/strong>
Sometimes learning new coping skills can help you with identifying and preventing stress. One of the 302 coping skills in Crush Your Stress is making a \u201cstress management kit\u201d. To learn more about how a stress management kit can provide you with the support you need, check out my book. Crush Your Stress: 302 Coping Skills for Managing Your Stress<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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- Read Crush Your Stress: 302 Coping Skills for Managing Your Stress.<\/em><\/strong>
- Look to the future.<\/strong>
- Get moving.<\/strong>
- Relive positive memories.<\/strong>
- Practice resilience.<\/strong>
- Focus on taking care of what you put into your body.<\/strong>
- Think more about seasons than events.<\/strong>
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