When that last drop of New Year’s Eve champagne is gone and the Christmas ornaments are packed away, many people enter a state of post-holiday blues. The anticipation and planning that begins with Halloween ends when you open your eyes on the second day of January. It’s winter; the parties are over and it’s back to the daily grind. But you can beat the post-holiday blues.
1. Rescue an Animal
Visit your local animal shelter. Give some time and attention to an animal without a home. If you are able, adopt a pet and add some new life to your home. If you can’t adopt one, ask if you can donate your time to the shelter. You’ll be helping animals, but they’ll enrich your life as well.
2. Declutter
A cluttered home can make you feel overwhelmed and unable to move forward in your thinking and your activities. It’s harder to clean, too, adding to the chores you have to do, or the chores that never get done. It’s a vicious cycle that can be broken. Pick out a few items each day and ask yourself — do I need this…does it serve a purpose…would I really miss it if it were gone…can it be useful to someone else? Most people feel better and perform better in an uncluttered environment.
3. Volunteer
There’s a lot of hype about volunteering during the holidays, but those needs don’t go away in January. People are still hungry, ill, homeless, and in need of assistance. If you’ve got time on your hands, and it’s making you blue, helping someone else can lift you out of the doldrums.
4. Give
If you’re busy with earning a living and caring for family, volunteering time isn’t always practical. Perhaps you can afford a monetary gift to your favorite worthy charity. Choosing a local charity makes it more personal. If you can’t afford to give money, how about donating items from your home that you no longer use or want? You get decluttered and someone else gets something they need. That’s a win/win.
5. Perform an Act of Kindness
Smile at a stranger. Open a door for someone else. Thank someone for the work they do. Let another driver into the line of traffic. Give someone a ride. Run an errand for someone who is sick. Small kindnesses take little time or effort but can make a big difference in someone else’s day. Perhaps you’ll even inspire others to pay it forward.
6. Green Your Home with Plants
Living things can perk up your home, your office, and your frame of mind. Green plants not only look beautiful, but houseplants can even improve air quality.
7. Play
Chances are that someone in your family received some games for Christmas, and maybe you played a few. Playing doesn’t have to end because Christmas is over. Gather the family for game night. Join the kids and make a jigsaw puzzle. Try your hand at a video game. You’re never too old to play, so get in there and have a good time!
8. Take Up a New Hobby
So you’ve always wanted to take up whittling…or building birdhouses…or painting…or crafting. Whatever it is you’ve always wanted to do, how about just taking the plunge and getting started. You may be more talented than you realized, or you may find out you don’t enjoy it after all. But you’ll never know until you try and if it’s not for you, there’s no obligation to continue. The fun is in trying.
9. Learn
What piques your interest? What do you long to learn? Enrolling in a class or workshop on your favorite topic can help beat the blues and add some excitement to your life. Knowledge is invigorating!
10. Make Healthy Lifestyle Changes
It’s hard to feel good on a bad diet. The choices you make for your body have a direct impact on how you feel physically and emotionally. If you’re feeling blue, perhaps you can turn things around by dumping those bad holiday eating habits and turning toward fruits and veggies and other healthy foods. A brisk walk, especially in a green environment, can work wonders for body and soul.