Feeling Down After the Holiday Season
If you’re feeling a little down after the holiday season, don’t worry, you aren’t alone.
In fact, the post-holiday blues are actually fairly common. As people head back to work in January and settle back into “normal” daily life, melancholy feelings can come up. There are a variety of reasons that can trigger this. Sadness about the season being over, disappointment regarding how the holiday season actually played out, missing loved ones, dealing with loss, or simply anticlimactic feelings after weeks of celebration. On top of any of these triggers, people often stay up late, eat unhealthy foods, don’t exercise as much, and get out of their “normal” routine.
As I write this, I’m sitting here in my quiet house. My daughters are back at school and my husband is at work. It’s the kind of quiet one feels after having a full house and hearing so much laughter over the past weeks. While I love being alone and having space, this is the kind of quiet that reminds me my kids are growing up, have their own lives, and soon we will be empty nesters.
I’m not going to say this doesn’t tug at my heart a little bit, and if I let myself, I could probably cry easily thinking about it.
It’s normal to feel a little down after the holiday season ends.
It’s not that I’m unhappy. In fact, quite the opposite. It’s just that time goes by fast and I’m remind of how sacred family time is and how quickly it passes. It’s been such a fun few weeks, and I give myself permission to feel the feels a little bit. I’m never one to stifle my feelings or try to shut them down.
I’m all about releasing and letting go instead of putting a lid on something or pretending certain feelings aren’t there in the first place.
But, I also hear my Dad’s voice whispering in my ear, and I am reminded of his beautiful words, “Don’t be sad it’s over, be happy it happened.” I’m grateful for the past few weeks, the time I was able to spend with my family, the joyful moments we shared. I’ll count my blessings instead of focusing on the quiet house.
Really, gratitude is the way through many of the challenges life tosses our way.
It’s in those moments, when we can either feel sorry for ourselves or be thankful for what we have. If you find yourself feeling a little down, or having a bit of the post-holiday blues, try to find something to be grateful for. It always amazes me how quickly my mood shifts when I go to the gratitude place instead of focusing on what I don’t like about any given situation.
While I miss my family, I am so grateful to have them in my life.
Even though school is back in session, I am thankful for the time we had together.
Dara
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