What Are the Post-Holiday Blues?

Post-holiday blues usually refer to the short-lived mental distress, anxiety, and sadness that arises after the holidays. It’s common after all of the hoopla for people to experience a letdown or what some call the "post-holiday blues." Usually not long-lasting, most people swing “back to normal” after a short while.

The holidays are a busy time, and they last from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve. This period might include celebrations and get-togethers for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve.

While it may be an exciting stretch for many people, it can also be a prolonged period of loneliness and sadness for others. Throughout this time, emotions are heightened, and sometimes difficult to regulate.

Here is what you need to know about this down period. This article will discuss the Christmas effect on mental health, signs of post-holiday blues, emotions you might feel after the frantic holidays, and tips on how to feel better.

The Post-Holiday Blues and Mental Health

Many people experience mental health challenges after the holidays. Scientists have in fact studied the effect of religious holidays on individuals.

In a study called "The Christmas Effect on Psychopathology," scientists conducted a literature search from 1980 to the present. They used the search terms "Christmas," "suicide," "depression," "psychiatric disorders," and "self-harm behavior." It included studies from the U.S. as well as other countries.

They found a decrease in the overall utilization of psychiatric emergency services and admissions, self-harm behavior, and suicide attempts/completions during the holiday. But they found an increase, or a rebound, following the Christmas holiday.

A 2022 systematic review of 25 studies also found that psychiatric hospitalizations were lower at Christmas and during other holidays than they were during other times of the year.

Signs of Post-Holiday Blues

How can you determine if what you have is indeed the post-holiday blues? Rest assured, though signs may vary, any of these signs likely won’t last too long.

After the adrenaline rush of the holidays, you may feel:

• Anxious
• Unmotivated
• Irritable
• Moody
• Stressed
• Depressed
• Unable to sleep
• Worried about money
  

What the Post-Holiday Blues Feel Like

Sometimes caused "post-vacation syndrome," people are navigating a way to get back to business as usual. While not reflective of a serious case of depression in most circumstances, emotions involved with post-holiday blues range widely.

Common emotions people feel include:

Emptiness

You might wonder why you feel empty. Various reasons, including exhaustion, might contribute to you feeling this way.

After all, the holiday season is a frenzied time. In addition to putting up decorations and buying gifts, you may have had added responsibilities like cooking or volunteering for a local non-profit.

Let Down After Extreme Emotions

This feeling of being let down after the holidays might simply be your recovery from intense positive emotions. For example, you may have felt extreme joy and happiness seeing your friends and family.

Reuniting with older relatives who you distanced from during the pandemic might have been wonderful. While it seems counter-intuitive, you might feel low now as your emotions regulate and readjust.

Loneliness

Conversely, you may have felt especially isolated and alone during the holidays. Maybe you had to work long hours, couldn’t afford to travel, or chose to be alone.

For those feeling loneliness during the holiday season or afterward, psychologists advise you to cultivate your sense of gratitude and be kind to yourself.

Stress

Yet another reason for feeling the post-holiday blues is you’re stressed. If you traveled for the first time in a long while, logistics could have made things more complicated. Getting ready for and returning from a long car trip or flight is hard enough.

Loss

If you were close to your family and are no longer, you might feel disappointed as well as a sense of loss. Remember that emotions during and after the holiday period might be especially heightened. If a loved one recently died, you might be sad and grieving.

Tips on How to Feel Better

Recovering from the post-holiday blues can take a little time, but there are things that you can do to start to feel better as you start a new year. Here are some ways to get out of the funk after the holidays:

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Give Yourself Time

Give yourself more time. This means giving yourself additional time for everything from unpacking to catching up on the mail. Schedule a day or two as catch-up time. Use this as a buffer before returning to the regular routine.

Connect With Others

Change your mood by limiting social media. Talk to people by phone or in person instead.

Communicate that you’re feeling down. Tell family and close friends what you’re going through. They might be helpful.

Take Care of Yourself

Be nice to yourself. Cut yourself some slack and administer self-care. Self-care is important when you are feeling down. Some things you can do that will help include:

• Get some exercise. Exercise has been shown to help combat feelings of anxiety and depression.
• Partake in nature therapy. It’s been proven that green spaces increase our sense of well-being.
• Eat well. Focus on fish, whole grains, dark chocolate, and green tea to combat stress.
• Get enough sleep. The Sleep Foundation says poor sleep contributes to depression and that someone might be more likely to deal with sleep issues if they are depressed.
  

Find Things to Look Forward To

Schedule something to look forward to on the calendar. Rather than slog through January, set up a time with friends to play sports, to check out a museum show, or to meet for a special lunch.

Rule Out Seasonal Affective Disorder

Find out if you’re suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is a recurring depressive disorder during seasons of more darkness. A recent study found adding exercise and going to the gym can effectively treat SAD.

Find Ways to Deal With Stress

During the post-holiday season, you might feel frazzled and burned out from all the stress, business, and chaos of the last couple of months. It can be helpful to decompress with some proven stress management strategies.

• Watch funny movies; humor and laughter reduce stress
• Try mindfulness and meditation
• Practice deep breathing exercises
• Try yoga
• Use progressive muscle relaxation
  

If you are struggling mildly with these after-holiday blues, try some of the suggested remedies above. You’ll probably be able to shake off these blahs, cheer up and get on with the new year.

When to Seek Help

Know you are not alone. Post-holiday blues can range from disappointment and emptiness to lack of motivation and feelings of slight depression. But if these feelings persist, it might be something else.

Those tackling loneliness, depression, and grief may have a difficult time during the holidays. The spill-over effect after the holidays may exacerbate the situation. If you can’t shake these feelings, seek out the help of a professional therapist. 

Your post-holiday blues may actually be a sign of a more serious mental health condition, such as depression or anxiety. Your therapist can evaluate your symptoms, make a diagnosis, and provide treatments that can help.