How To Manage Post-Holiday Stress

How to Manage Stress After the Holidays

Holidays are a stressful time and can be even more stressful once the holidays are all over, Holidays can be physically and mentally draining. Many people become stressed about having to clean up the holiday mess, all the extra work that they will return to after the holidays, or all the money that they spent during the holidays. After the holidays are over, it is crucial time to take some important steps to help better manage the stress in your life to prevent becoming overwhelmed and to better one's mental health.

Here are ten tips that you can take to better help manage the Post-Holiday Stress:

1.Recognize how you feel: Sometimes it can be difficult to acknowledge that yes, you are stressed. It is okay to admit that you are feeling anxious and stressed out after the holidays. It may relieve some stress just by expressing to someone how you are feeling. The holiday season can be a stress trigger for the majority of individuals and you are not alone.

2.Communicate with your close ones you didn't see during the holiday break– learn about their holidays and exchange stories to reconnect

3.Reflect on some of the good times that you had during the holiday - holidays can be so overwhelming, sometimes it can be difficult remembering the good things about the holidays, take some time to reflect on what brought you some holiday joy.

4.Take some time during the week to have some "me-time" - the holidays are so busy, It can be easy to forget to set aside some quiet time for yourself, now that the holidays are over, set aside a few hours a week to treat yourself!

5.Stick to a New Year's resolution – New year's resolutions are not always easy to stick to but having your mind set on a goal that can help better yourself can ease some of the focus on the post-holiday stress.

6.Gradually return to your work or school schedule- Jumping right back into the routine of things can make work seem even more overwhelming after your time off. To make things seem less overwhelming, slowly jump back into your work routine to help get back into the swing of things!

7.Let your stress out through exercise – Many people believe that exercise is one of the best stress relievers, find an exercise routine that best fits you and try it out!

8.Start saving money for the next holiday season- Money usually comes to mind when people think about the holidays and that can be one of the biggest stress triggers about the holidays, to ease some stress of the next holiday season, start saving as little as $5.00 from each paycheck to help ease the stress of the next holiday season.

9.Start planning your summer vacation – Having something to look forward to can ease the stress that you may be currently going through

10.Remember, it's okay to ask for help! - If you feel like your plate is just too full after the holiday season, don't be afraid to ask someone for assistance. Whether that be asking a coworker to help with a work assignment that you normally do alone or reaching out to professional help to talk about the anxiety that you may be feeling.