Feeling Down After the Holidays? You’re Not Alone 😔

Surviving the Aftermath of the Holidays

This Wednesday marks the end of the holiday season. However, you may not be feeling the joy of settling back into your routine and enjoying the last moments of your holiday. The high level of holiday activity that is now behind you may be causing you to feel not relaxed, but rather sad. You may feel as empty as the fridge that was once full of festive food or the guest room that was once occupied by your visitors. Another common psychological term to describe this experience is post-vacation blues.

In addition, the thought of returning to work and opening your inbox is daunting. The idea of facing hundreds, if not thousands, of unanswered emails can make your calm demeanor disappear and your blood pressure rise.

What’s Behind the Aftermath of Festivities?

Did you interact more with people during the holidays? Did you eat what you wanted without worrying about your weight? If you had fun and socialized during the holidays, you might have put in a lot of effort to create a festive atmosphere for yourself and those around you, and you may have felt a stronger sense of belongingness during this time.

And suddenly, you lose the thrill of it all: the busyness that kept you occupied and the company of others. You may feel a sense of emptiness as your home is no longer filled with guests, the aromas of holiday cooking have faded away, and you have to return to your normal routine.

If you’re feeling down after the holiday season, it may be because the holidays filled a void you had. Hence, it’s common to experience a feeling of letdown and melancholy when the holiday season comes to an end and you have to return to your mundane routine again. Now, let’s see how you can understand and cope better with the sadness during aftermath of the festivities.

#1 Understanding and Accepting Post-Holiday Sadness and Mixed Feelings

After the holidays end, feeling sadness is common. Perhaps you feel profoundly lonely because you’re missing the warmth of your family and friends who have left. You may feel relieved to have your home back to yourself, but then guilty for feeling that way. It’s okay to have multiple feelings, and each one is valid. For most of us, loneliness is what is left after a joyous holiday, find how you can navigate this tricky feeling the right way here!

#2 Normalizing the Post-Holiday Blues

Many people experience feelings of sadness after the holidays, but it’s not a topic that is often discussed openly. People usually put on a “happy face” to show that everything is fine, so you might not know how others feel. However, it could be helpful to talk about your feelings with others to normalize this experience. Consider speaking with a friend or a mental health professional to discuss your emotions. Feeling less alone can be a helpful part when dealing with sadness after holidays. This is closely tied with one aspect of the self-compassion, proposed by Kristin Neff, which is common humanity. Find out more about self-compassion here!

#3 Dealing with the Dread of Returning to Work After the Holidays

It’s possible that you’re unhappy about going back to work. If you had a break during the holidays, you may not be excited about returning to your job. This is a common feeling, particularly if your holiday days were filled with enjoyable things. However, if you’re dreading going back to work so much that it’s difficult to get out of bed, it might be necessary to make adjustments here and there.

Post-Holiday Letdown: How to Move Forward

The holiday season is a time of joy and relaxation for many people. However, returning to work after a long break can be challenging. The transition from vacation mode to work mode can cause stress and anxiety, and it may take some time to adjust. Here what you can do to make the transition become more seamless:

After the holidays, take a half-day to unpack and organize before diving back into work. Do what you need to do to finish up the holiday stuff and gradually ease back into your regular routine. By doing this, you can reduce your stress when returning to work, as your personal life is already in order. You will also feel more prepared to go back to work and be able to rest more after work. Remember, the first week back at work may be more exhausting than usual, so take it easy and go at your own pace.
During your first week back at work, try to avoid scheduling too many meetings or other commitments. This way, you can concentrate on dealing with your overflowing inbox and prioritizing your tasks. It’s important not to overload yourself with back-to-back meetings and no time to catch up on what you’ve missed. Instead, keep your calendar clear and sort your unread emails into categories like urgent, non-urgent, quick responses, and no action needed. Start by working on the urgent ones first, and then move on to the quick responses. By focusing on one task at a time and completing similar tasks together, you’ll be able to work more efficiently.
Boost your enjoyment during the week you return to work. Hang out with your friends and have a meal together. Take a walk in your neighborhood along your favorite route. Browse through the pictures from your holiday. Feeling low after the holiday season is common, especially if you dive straight into work without any time for enjoyment. So, allocate some time for leisure during the first week back—and beyond. This can help you feel content and revitalized even though your holiday is over. And remember, there are plenty more holidays to come in the future.