Make Your New Years A Glass That Is Hal Full, Not Half Empty

Now that the holidays are over, you and many others may be experiencing the post-holiday blahs.

The excitement of the last several weeks suddenly comes to halt on January 2, and then the prospect of paying bills, packing up decorations, loosing recently gained weight, enduring the cold months, risking the cold and flu season and catching up on deferred work can lead to an emotional letdown.

However, changing one’s mind-set and attitude about the new year can lead to a different set of emotional outcomes.

It is important to recognize that most every person feels a degree of letdown after the holidays.

Being on a holiday high can keep our minds very focused on the day-to-day events involving family, food, parties, gifting, and time off work. A societal outlook of joy, peace, harmony and good will also exists during this time. Wrap this all together and put a bow on it and it is not hard to see why hitting the brakes at the end of the season is difficult.

The post-holiday blahs are likely to hit those hardest who have expected the perfect holiday season but didn’t get it.

Focusing on less-than-perfect events leads to negative feelings so step back and view things with a broader perspective.

Try interjecting self-talk such as “no one is perfect,” “you can’t please everyone” and “there is always another year” into your unrealistic goal of having the perfect holiday.

A little humor, perhaps some forgiveness, and a lot of focus on the good parts of the holiday can go a long way in helping us progress into the new year in a psychologically healthy fashion.

If the after-holiday letdown is centered on reflections of unhappy accomplishments of the past year, then spend some time looking at what you are unhappy about and develop a plan to start anew. A fresh start and another chance at life can be an uplifting uplift.

For some, the holidays are a time filled with “have to” rather than “want to.”

These individuals may look forward to some down time, the return to a routine and more predictable schedule. The post-holiday blahs may instead be seen as the post-holiday hoorahs.

You can choose to see the new year as a glass that is half-full or half-empty. Choose wisely and have a Happy New Year.