The Post-Holiday Syndrome

CEBU, Philippines — The long holidays are over. For sure, most people have had their fill of fun. Some, however, may be feeling blue and find it rather difficult to return to their normal function.

Such “down” feeling is not rare at all. Only that it’s often quickly dismissed as tiredness from the many activities during the merry season. One would think that everybody gets it – and, yes, it naturally just goes away by itself after a while.

But mental health professionals suggest that people take caution about holiday blues, holiday depression, or post-Christmas blues. These terms depict the mental distress occurring after the holidays and festival season. Experts say that the "blues” suggest mild mental distress, a commonly occurring phenomenon when dealing with daily life stress and change.

A balanced and healthy person may simply “shrug it off.” But those experiencing other health issues, physical or emotional, may be highly susceptible. And when one is feeling down, everyone him or her is affected as well, since the down person may not be as enthusiastic or as warm in relating with others.

The website www.wikihow.com suggests some expert steps to get rid of post-holiday blues:

1. Expect some letdown. The holiday season was both joyful and stressful, simultaneously. There was family to get along with, gifts to buy and return, people to visit, activities to participate in, plenty of festive food to eat, sales to rush to, and parties to plan and attend. Topped off with the excitement of New Year's Eve, your adrenaline has probably been pumping most of the time during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

2. Tell yourself that it’s normal. Returning to the usual routine can dampen your spirits. Perhaps the home or workplace can seem so quiet compared to the noise and the rush during the holidays. Equally, if your Christmas and New Year's Eve period wasn't as enjoyable as you had hoped, you can be left feeling down about the lack of enjoyment you'd expected and this can sour your mood. Accepting yourself that not all things you expect come to materialize is a way of telling yourself that disappointment is a normal feeling and that it will soon pass once the routine re-establishes itself.

Consider, instead, that you’re more rested now from the time off and ready to settle back down to your usual routine. It’s an opportune time to take a renewed perspective on your work, routine, study, or home life pace.

3. Be realistic about your New Year's Resolutions. If you set the bar too high and you already feel as if you're slipping, don't berate yourself. Instead, look at your resolutions realistically and assess whether they need some tweaking to ensure that they're achievable. Discard the resolutions that require you to be too harsh on yourself or modify these into ones that can be met now that the heady atmosphere of New Year's Eve is behind you. Think of it as a double checking of the details, and simply fiddle with the fine print!

4. Continue being around people. Some of the post-holiday blues might be related to having been around many people over the Christmas break and then suddenly finding yourself having not many people around. Lift your spirits by continuing to stay connected with friends and family, and getting out and about to do activities where other people interact with you.

5. Have something to look forward to. Revive the excitement of anticipation by arranging fun activities, such as having dinner with friends, starting a new hobby, attending a sporting event regularly, going to the movies etc. Choose activities that meet your budget and interests, and that you know will give you a thrill.

6. Make healthy choices. The many indulgences over the holiday period may have left you feeling a little out of shape and worse for wear in the nutrition department. Aim to return to eating healthy food, drinking healthy drinks, and ensuring that you keep getting a good amount of exercise. Eating well and keeping up regular exercise will enhance your mood and help you return to good shape and fitness levels.

7. Expect to enjoy the year ahead. Try to keep a positive frame of mind and plan for interesting and fulfilling events throughout the year. Then you have something to look forward to. Think ahead to the changing seasons and the sorts of things you'd like to be doing as the year moves on, and the activities and events you'd like to be a part of. Doing something about the things you'd like to happen is the first step and once you're immersed in planning and doing, you'll be too busy to fret.

8. If need be, get professional help. A psychiatrist or counselor is a professional trained in turning around things that have been bothering you. The holiday season may have put a hold on some pressing issues at work and in your personal life because the celebrations, meet-ups, and preparations required your foremost attention. Now, you're back to facing those issues and this might just be a good time to get help from a professional.