3 Tips to Surviving the Holiday Blues

Christmas takes a lot out of us. Between the presents and the entertaining other people, it is no shock that the day after Christmas we all feel a little run down and exhausted. This is normal. This is common.

But Boxing Day brings such excitement for many people. The sales and deals that can be found draw many people out of their homes no matter how exhausted they are. And then they must face the hustle and bustle of Boxing Day shoppers, which can arguably be worse than the last minute shoppers before Christmas.

So how do we approach the day after this major holiday? For some, it will be Boxing Day and for others, you may not get your break until after the new year. Whatever your holiday bog down is there are a few steps you can take to avoid getting super run down and blue.

1. Take Your Time

There is no hurry despite what you may feel on the holidays. If your house is a mess because you've had company three days in a row, give yourself a break. It is exhausting enough entertaining for people let alone cleaning up the mess.

So do it in stages. Don't push yourself to clean the house from top to bottom the minute that last guest leaves. You are just going to bog yourself down. Perhaps do the laundry and dishes on that first day. Maybe set your living room back to rights and sit to enjoy a movie.

Reward yourself for your progress. You have been busy this holiday with travel and guests and presents. You deserve to take a day to do absolutely nothing if that is what you want.

Don't feel pressured to have everything back in order the minute your holiday ends. Take a week to get everything sorted if that's what you want to do. The only one judging the state of your home is you. Your family likely doesn't care, and if they do then they can do something to help out.

So take your time. Take a deep breath and evaluate what is important. What can you not live without being done the minute everyone leaves? What can wait until tomorrow? The answer is usually everything, but I'll let you make that call.

2. Shop (If You Want)

Boxing Day shopping brings out a lot of people because of the wonderfully amazing deals that fill most stores. But you are under no obligation to actually shop. No one is going to force you to leave your house and join the masses.

Realistically, Boxing Day sales tend to last until the New Year rolls in so there is no pressure to fight your way through people. And if you really want to shop, there is always online. You can do it in your pyjamas and from the comfort of your home. You don't have to drive anywhere, you don't have to fight for parking, and you don't have to enter the store and be disappointed by the fact that your item is no longer on the shelf.

And no one is making you shop. You are under no contractual agreement that you have to spend money on Boxing Day. You have likely spent more than enough on presents and Christmas dinner over the last month or so. There is no need to dump a bunch of money into sales on items that you don't really need.

But if you do need it or want it badly enough to brave the crowds, remember that patience is a virtue. The staff who are working are likely stressed and tired no matter what time of day it is, so be kind to them. Take your time and find what you need. Be sure to shop around for the deals before leaving your home. And best of luck to you.

Personally, I'm going to be staying as far away as possible from retail outlets this Boxing Day.

3. Enjoy the Leftovers

One of the best benefits of hosting Christmas dinner or any dinner over the holidays is the amount of leftovers that will crowd your refrigerator. Whether it is turkey or roast beef or ham, there will be lots of things available to you for making a sandwich the following day. There will also be plenty of items left for a second dinner.

If you didn't host dinner, hopefully your host sent you away with a nice plate or container to get you through the next day. There is nothing worse than having to worry about grocery shopping or cooking the day after a long holiday.

Maybe you spent hours travelling. Maybe you cooked where you went. Maybe you cooked at home. Maybe you went out to a restaurant and have a few takeaway containers.

Whatever your situation, you should be able to throw something together. There is no reason to cook a big meal the day after an exhausting holiday. Order in if you have to in order to avoid this. You will feel better for it.

The holidays are exhausting. They take a lot out of us and it is easy to get down in the dumps after the dust settles. So give yourself a break and take things slow. No one is making you do anything and tomorrow is another day.

Most of all, try to remember this time of year is about friends, family, and being together. If you find yourself feeling super blue, reach out to someone. We're all in this together. And we will all get through this.