I love the holidays, especially cuddling up by the fire with the lights of the Christmas tree in the background and opening presents with loved ones. These are all special moments during the holiday season. But when the season ends and all the decorations are taken down, I feel lonely inside. We leave the wonderful season of Christmas and enter the dark and windless month of January. If you’re like me, you might feel a little blue. But while January is infinitely gloomier, the start of a new year brings with it new possibilities.
Here are six steps to overcome the post-holiday blues.
1. Set reasonable goals
January is known as the month of setting life goals and making resolutions for a better, more productive life. In January, you may feel defeated if you haven’t achieved the goals you set for yourself by the end of the month. Instead of setting lofty goals with no deadline or incentive to achieve them, set reasonable goals. Combine your goals with ones that stretch and grow you, and other manageable goals. That way, you can reach for higher goals this year while feeling accomplished with a few simple goals.
2. Set new boundaries
Adding to the holiday sadness is having toxic relationships in your life. You can’t change a toxic person, but you can change how you react to them. Setting healthy boundaries is a good, Biblical way to avoid being influenced by a person’s toxicity and instead create space for healthy relationships. The book Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend is a great resource for discovering how to create appropriate boundaries in a way that keeps people in your life but does not allow them to cause emotional or relational pain. People who struggle with control will make you believe that setting boundaries is a bad idea. But they are healthy ways for you to achieve emotional freedom and develop positive relationships with others while loving yourself in the process.
3. Exercise more
Our bodies are designed to move. However, in the sedentary world we live in, we often do not move our bodies effectively to achieve optimal weight and health. Resolve to get at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day. It doesn’t have to be 60 consecutive minutes to achieve this goal. Wake up 30 minutes early in the morning and go to the gym or go for a walk outside. When your body exercises, your brain releases endorphins, which cause a temporary high. This lifts your mood and increases your physical health. Start with 30 minutes a day and increase to 60 minutes if possible. Take small steps and don’t set unachievable goals. If you set goals that you can’t achieve, you’ll want to quit altogether. The goal of exercise is not about winning or losing, but about valuing yourself enough to reap the physical, emotional, and mental health benefits of exercise.
4. Take supplements
Although we try our best to eat right, the Western diet does not allow us to get all our nutrients strictly from food. We are lucky to live in a society where we can take vitamin supplements in addition to a healthy diet, allowing our bodies to receive the vitamins and minerals they need to function properly. In addition to being good for your overall health, research has shown that some mental illnesses, such as anxiety, can be caused by vitamin D and magnesium deficiencies. Taking additional supplements in these areas may lift your mood and improve your post-holiday blues.
Supplements don’t necessarily have to be in pill form. If you can’t feel yourself taking the pills, buy a protein shake mix. Add 1 spoonful to milk or water, shake and drink. These protein shakes provide most of the protein, vitamins, and minerals you need to function throughout the day. There are also magnesium therapy, light therapy, and other therapies that can be used to get these vitamins into your body.
*To ensure both your health and safety, consult your doctor before starting any supplements, shakes, or additional treatments.
5. Have a hobby
You may be happy to wake up every day and go to your favorite job. But what happens after a long and exhausting week? To stimulate your brain and fuel your passions, it’s important to have something to look forward to in your free time. If you are artistic, try learning new crafts that will give you an outlet for your creativity. YouTube is a great place to learn how to crochet, knit, needle, and more. Drawing and painting is also a great way to relax after a long day and provide beautiful art to the world. Being creative can also be part of the worship experience because God allows His people to participate in the creative process.
If you’re not artistic, think about what you love most. Do you like collecting things? Do you like the outdoors? Do you like contributing to the community? Find out what you love to do and do it! If the coronavirus has taught us anything, it’s that life is short. After spending most of your time working or worshiping, it’s never a bad idea to enjoy a healthy hobby to refocus your mind, relax your body, and ignite your passion for contributing to the world around you.
6. Put God first.
Above all else, put God first in your life. We often spend our days checking off to-do lists, setting and achieving goals to improve our lives. But where does God fit into all this? Have you asked him what he wants from your life? There is no better place than to be at the center of God’s will. If you’re behind on your Bible reading or prayer time, try spending some quiet time with God each day. It can be an early morning routine or a night routine. Do what works for you. Seek the Lord and ask Him what His will is for your life this new year. Sometimes we feel depressed because we look forward to a holiday season that will make us feel special, when in reality God thinks we are special. Take time in silence to listen to God’s voice and tune into what He is saying to you. We are in communion and conversation with Almighty God, so being in tune with the Holy Spirit is the best way to overcome post-holiday blues.
The holidays may have come and gone, but the Bible makes it clear that it is not good to dwell on the past. Instead, we should focus on the new things God is doing in our lives and in the lives of others. By improving your overall health, allowing yourself to be passionate about hobbies, and discerning God’s will for your life, you can enter the new year with hope and anticipation of what God has in store for you.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Drazen Zigic
Michelle S. Lazurek is an award-winning multi-genre author, speaker, pastor’s wife, and mother. She is a literary agent with Wordwise Media Services and host of The Spiritual Reset podcast. Her new children’s book, Hall of Faith, encourages children to understand that God can be trusted. When I’m not working, I enjoy drinking Starbucks lattes, collecting 80’s memorabilia, and spending time with my family and dog. For more information, please visit her website www.michellelazurek.com.
