Beating the Post-Holiday Blues

Beating the Post-Holiday Blues

We’re now deep in January, and it’s about time that the post-holiday Blues begin setting in. Winter feels long while the warmth of close family recedes and the event season is in a lull. 

While the cheerful ambiance of the festive season cannot go unnoticed. It is not uncommon to experience some post-holiday blues. We look forward to some downtime during this season, but the reminders of the previous year’s ups and downs sometimes tag along and disturb our peace. 

The holidays might have had the “when are you getting married questions” while others were isolating or had no close family. Some have broken off long-term relationships, and this past season has found them just in time as they are trying to find their footing. Many event pros have had to downsize their businesses, and some have had to close their businesses altogether.

How then can event pros beat the post-holiday blues?

Contentment

It’s important to understand that life’s doors don’t always open at the same time for us as they do for our peers and those around us. Having contentment gives us the satisfaction to enjoy life’s present moments and an eagerness to strive for more when future opportunities present themselves. Be proud of what you’ve accomplished, and find appreciation where you can. Contentment gives us the healthy balance that understands that we are on a journey to success and where we are is certainly not the destination.

Do something meaningful

The effects of the pandemic have shown us that things can change and that we can adapt to those changes. Sure, the holidays might not have been picture-perfect, or like they were in previous years, you can still look back on them with joy.

Fight the post-holiday blues by doing something meaningful or rewarding like visiting an animal shelter, going on a solo date, or volunteering. Being around the less fortunate has a way of giving us an appreciation of what we already have. We always have more than we think we have, and we can change someone’s life through good works.

Related: Wedding Charities: How To Make Charitable Giving A Part Of Your Event

Honesty

There are often buzzing expectations around the festive season. You may have had to exaggerate what you could afford or had to put on a happy face while struggling.

However, being honest helps bridge the gap between the surrounding expectations and your capabilities. The hardships and hurdles of the past year should be known to our loved ones. Such transparency helps lower expectations and pressure load to provide what we know we cannot.

Say No Often

Perhaps you’ve broken off a relationship, or you’ve experienced loss during the year. Out of concern, friends and family may probe you about your losses. You are allowed to create boundaries around what should be a topic of discussion and what shouldn’t be. Stay in tune with your mental checks. When the invitation to violate your boundaries arises, kindly decline it by giving a no. A no with no explanation, and “no” is a complete sentence. Beating the post-holiday blues may require you to put your foot down. Not everything should be open for discussion.

Be Kinder to Yourself

The English proverb reiterates that charity begins at home. Between juggling ambitious goals and disciplining ourselves, we may forget the primary necessity to be kinder to ourselves and to acknowledge the battles we’ve won. How we respond to external factors is determined mainly by how well we can resolve internal conflicts. Being kinder to ourselves isn’t letting ourselves off the hook. It’s recognizing that even though the progress is slower, it is still progress, and it’s impressive.

Rest

Find time to break away from the madness and rest. Rest your mind by gathering your thoughts before going back into the crowd. Take leave from your job as the designated event planner and let others carry the load of organizing while you take a moment for yourself. You deserve downtime after a long year of planning, organizing, and executing.

New traditions

The tips above fall under the umbrella of starting new traditions. Traditions can evolve to suit the needs of the people honoring them. Think about how office traditions have changed. Meetings that once needed face-to-face interaction can be summarized in a simple email or instant message while maintaining the formal code of conduct.

Like two peas in a pod, we cannot talk about evolving without considering innovation in the same sentence. Festive traditions can be fun and considerate too. They should bring out the necessary joy in us and be respectful enough to honor our newfound changes and boundaries. I mean, if an invisible virus could change the ways things are done in the world. A tweak to the festive traditions will do more good than harm.