Culture / Other

 

Nothing about the past year was easy or enjoyable. Even wonderful occasions were tainted with worry about our health and social distancing guidelines. While we all did our best to cope with the constantly changing world, the holidays fell under the heading of “not-quite-normal” for sure. Shopping with masks on, foregoing trips to see loved ones, and generally keeping to ourselves all put a damper on our holiday cheer. For months, we were all looking forward to the new year. Now it’s here, but our world hasn’t righted itself.

If you’re experiencing a post-holiday slump like no other, you aren’t alone. Lots of people experience feel depressed or empty after the holidays, and it’s completely natural to feel a come-down after the hustle and bustle. But this year there is a bigger picture to consider. This time last year we were all living our normal lives and could never have imagined that the pandemic would have gone on for an entire year. Now that it has, we’re all processing the feelings and possibly denial that we’ve all felt since March 2020… which feels like it was yesterday.

If you’re wondering how best to beat the post-holiday blues, there are a few things you can do:

1. Practice gratitude: Whether or not you enjoyed this Christmas, we do have things to be grateful for. The vaccinations for COVID-19 have been developed. Family and friends have come together (virtually) for support. And people are all expressing their gratitude for their health and whatever happiness they found this year. 
2. Get some endorphins: Working out is a good way to dig yourself out of any funk, and thanks to the many changes this year brought, there are tons of home workouts you can do to give your body a good endorphin rush to make yourself feel a little better. 
3. Create some goals for yourself: They don’t have to be resolutions! If you want to clean out a closet or organize a drawer or even learn how to make a recipe, make that little goal for a free weekend! It’ll help you look forward rather than backward.

2020 is a year everyone is looking forward to forgetting and 2021 is a year we’re entering with trepidation. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t be optimistic or look for joy in unexpected places. Be good to yourself this year and allow yourself to mourn the loss of 2020. Then look forward, because we have every reason to hope this year will be better.