For some, winter break brings relief and joy, but for many, it’s a source of anxiety and stress. The holiday season can overwhelm anyone with its long to-do lists, pressing deadlines, financial strain, family drama, and high expectations. It sometimes seems like everything stressful loves to show up in December.
The winter holidays aren’t regular times because, in the run to make the time memorable for everyone, you put a lot of stress on yourself. Organising countless parties and family gatherings and buying gifts for everyone can drain your energy and take a toll on your mind and body. Once the holidays are over, it can be difficult to adjust to normal life once again.
But all times, good and bad, come to an end, and the winter holidays are no exception. If you feel like this period left you feeling down, here is how you can improve your wellness.
What are post-holiday blues?
You might have heard of the term post-holiday blues, but you have yet to quite understand what it stands for. According to psychologists, it’s normal for people to deal with a slump in their mood after the holidays because the winter break can be a draining and overwhelming time. And while several online guides provide recommendations on maintaining your wellness during the holidays, few approach the subject of after-holiday blues. What should you do after you take down the Christmas tree and put all the decorations away?
Get back to your normal routine
Don’t worry; it’s normal to feel overly tired once the winter holidays are finished. As mentioned earlier, this is a stressful period which most likely makes it challenging to maintain your normal routine, especially when it comes to staying physically active and resting. If you partied a lot and neglected quality sleep time, your body and mind crave more rest, and you shouldn’t deny it any longer.
And even if you got 7-8 hours of sleep throughout the holidays, you might still feel exhausted due to the countless things you had to check on your list. After travelling to visit friends and family, hosting and attending parties and gatherings, and dealing with everything associated with the holidays, you feel physically and emotionally empty. No matter what routine you have for an average day, get back to it the moment the holidays are finished.
Work out
You might have been dedicated to your fitness routine the entire year, but you noticed that your motivation started to wane during the holidays. That’s okay, don’t be too harsh on yourself; everyone is dealing with the exact same situation. However, the first week of January is the ideal time to start exercising again. Physical activity is also an effective tool to alleviate the stress and anxiety that might be lingering after the winter break. And where do you count that sweat sessions in the gym can improve your sleep?
Be ready to deal with some post-workout pain because your muscles had a long break, and the stress you put on them while working out can produce inflammation and soreness. To prevent this, you can use Seeds Cannabis known for their anti-inflammatory effects. You can add cannabis seeds to your smoothie shake, salad, or pasta.
Take a break from sweets
Don’t feel bad because you overindulged during the holidays – that’s the fun part of the winter break. But now that the season is over, you can bounce back to your healthy eating habits. Fuel your body with the needed nutrients. Look online for some healthy, delicious and easy-to-do recipes. Sticking to a healthy diet is easier when you enjoy the meals and don’t spend hours in the kitchen preparing food.
Cooking shouldn’t add any more stress to your schedule, so you can purchase a slow cooker to dump the ingredients in and let them cook while you do something else. If you have a sweet tooth, try to switch to healthier alternatives like fruits or bake cookies with nutritious ingredients like Cannabis seeds that are high in protein and have anti-inflammatory properties.
Don’t neglect self-care
You have spent the winter break doing nice things for everyone else besides yourself. This is a great gesture; most likely, everyone appreciates your thoughtfulness, but it might put you on the back burner. Once all cookies are eaten, and the gifts unwrapped, you conclude that you cannot remember the last time you took a long bath or had a massage. Pay attention to your own needs and care for yourself. Re-evaluate your wellness and do whatever it takes to regain it.
Why do you feel sad when the winter holidays end?
Interactions with family. For you, the winter break might mean travelling and reuniting with your family. Or you might be in charge of hosting family gatherings for all the relatives. Either way, interactions with family over celebrations and holidays often stir up emotions (positive and negative) which can impact your mental health.
Winter weather. Depending on the region where you live, December and January can be some cold and dark months that do no good to your mental health. The days are short during the winter, meaning you get less daylight and can deal with Vitamin D deficiency. According to specialists, people often deal with seasonal affective disorder, even if the holidays put no stress on them. The change in temperatures can wreak havoc on your health.
Crashing your diet. The winter break can do a number of things to your diet. It’s almost impossible to avoid eating cookies, cakes, and all the goodies you cook during the holidays. Make nutritionists call December the month of overindulgence. If, at the beginning of January, you notice that the numbers on the scale creep up, your mood will definitely slump down.
Regardless of the reasons that make you feel blue after the winter holidays are a thing of the past, the good news is you can improve your state and improve your mental health.
