Ways Too Look After Your Mental Health Post-Christmas
Now that the christmas period is behind us and the New Year has officially started, you might wonder if it is normal to be experiencing various emotions – sad, let down or exhausted. Well, the short answer is Yes! It’s normal to have post-Christmas blues but it shouldn’t interfere with your day-to-day life! Thankfully, there are a few ways to get your spirits back after the festive period. So here are a few tips for ways to beat the post-Christmas blues.
Exercise
Getting active doesn’t mean you have to go to the gym; you can enjoy the fresh air by walking, jogging, running, or practising yoga and Tai Chi. Physical activities cause your body to release endorphins and serotonin, which can help to improve your mood and reduce tension. Just 30 minutes of exercise can help!
Make a Plan
After the most exciting and busiest time of the year, returning to your regular, mundane routine can feel a little weird. This can lower anyone’s spirits. However, a good way to improve and lift your spirits is to create things to look forward to. Of course, this depends on your budget and lifestyle—it could involve planning a day trip or booking a trip away.
Practice Self-Care
Self-care is super important and can include asking for help, eating healthy regular meals, setting goals, making sleep your number one priority, planning your time and staying connected.
- Seek help: If you are experiencing overwhelming emotions due to certain life events such as; financial worries or bereavement. By seeking help from either a loved one or close friends, or by reaching out to a dedicated support network such as Samaritans or Cruse Bereavement. By seeking help, can improve your overall mood and feeling toward life itself.
- Plan your time: After the festive period you might notice that your calendar is petty empty, which can give you more time to play around with but it can be quite boring, resulting in your feeling bored, equalling low moods. So pre-plan a visit to see family members, or have a coffee date with your friends or solo. By having plans ahead of schedule can reduce the feeling of low mood, being bored or even feeling alone.
- Eat healthy and regular meals: Having regular and healthy meals is just as important as a good night’s sleep, as it can improve your overall well-being and mood. Also, remember to stay hydrated, as even a mild dehydration can affect your mood, energy level and the ability to concentrate.
- Sleep should be your priority: To have a healthy sleep pattern, sticking to a sleeping schedule can help to make sure you are getting enough sleep. Using your mobile or other devices can make it a little harder to fall asleep, so reducing blue light exposure can help you fall asleep a lot easier and a little faster.
- Stay connected: Staying connected with friends and family members can provide you with emotional support and practical help.
- Set goals and priorities: When deciding what should be ticked off your to-do list and what could wait if you find it hard to say ‘No,’ you could start by saying ‘No’ to certain things that you consider not important to yourself. Also, try to appreciate things you have accomplished at the end of the day.
Take a Break
If you feel stressed, taking time out can help reduce stress levels. It could include simple things like taking a walk, going out for coffee, catching up on TV series, or listening to music — anything that helps you relax and unwind! Of course, it can be hard to find the time when you have a lot of responsibilities, so why not plan your break?
Look towards The Future Instead Of The Past
At christmas time or just at the end of the year in general we tend to look back on the past year, at what we either have or haven’t achieved. This can cause us to have a low mood or have negative feelings if we don’t feel like we have underachieved or haven’t lived up to our expectations. So try to stop thinking about what you haven’t achieved instead focus on the positives and set goals you want to achieve throughout the new year.
How do you improve you mental health after the christmas period?
You May Also Like
Valentine’s Gift Guide
Jet, Set, Go: 6 Packing Cubes That Will Keep The Content Of Your Suitcase Organised
