How Will You Cope With the After-Effects of Christmas?

After the presents have been opened, you look at the Christmas tree, with nothing under it except some scraps of wrapping paper and some stray pine needles, and a feeling of emptiness sets in. You regret eating so much junk food during the holidays, and you can’t wait to get away from your relatives, but you know that, as soon as you do, you will feel guilty about not being more tolerant of them. You promise yourself that next year will be different, but you feel lost as to how to make big changes or even what the first step should be. These are some common symptoms of the post-holiday slump and how you can confront them.

Anxiety

Even if you are usually an optimist, the days after Christmas can leave you feeling like the old year was a colossal failure and can leave you dreading the coming year. Anxiety can be a terrible feeling, especially since it tends to compound itself until you take action against it.

When you are ready to take action over your own stress you will find that your own mind contains powerful weapons against anxiety. Just 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per day, appropriate to your fitness level, can do wonders to reduce feelings of anxiety, despair, dread, and helplessness as the exercise releases endorphins in the brain which triggers a positive feeling in the body. Another strategy to stop anxiety from getting the best of you is to make a list, verbally or on paper, of things that you are thankful for and things that are going well on your life. If you lost one pound last week and kept it off this week that is a victory. If you exercised every day last week, that is also a victory.

Too Much Money Spent

Financial resolutions are among the most popular New Year’s resolutions. You can’t change how much money you spent last year, but you can make changes to your financial habits for the New Year. If the holidays left you with lots of debt, make a plan to pay off your debts. Of course, you will make yourself miserable if you set unrealistic goals. Decide to pay just a little bit above the minimum payments on each of your debts, and put a little bit of money in savings every time you get paid. Spend your free time doing things that cost nothing – like exercising. Even better, spend your free time on hobbies that earn money, even if it is just a small amount of money, such as driving for an app-based chauffeur service or filling out surveys online.

Family Conflict

The most important thing to remember about family conflict is that you can’t change other people. If you find being around your family for long periods of time challenging, promise your family that you will spend a certain amount of time with them and help them, then keep your promise. Devote the rest of your free time to your close family and if necessary side jobs that will allow you financial and emotional independence. Do not feel guilty about not having things in common with your family. If you spend as much time with them as you promise, you are keeping the lines of communication open for your relationship with them to improve.

If you remember to start small and give yourself credit for small victories, you can make this year the best year ever.