The holidays are a time of celebrations and family gatherings. From Thanksgiving to New Year’s, we often spread ourselves too thin-we get too little sleep, eat and drink too much, and have high expectations for ourselves. But once the holidays are over, it can be a time of emptiness and depression. About 25% of people have feelings of lonliness and letdown in January. People have more illnesses in January which can be attributed to the “letdown effect.” This is characterized as “a condition where high energy or activation levels in the body are immediately followed by a rapid drop in activation levels.”
According to B. Greenberg, author of Wrung Out By Ringing In The Holidays, it’s important to know “there’s no reason to feel badly that you feel badly, and no reason to force your feelings to be different than what they are.”
Try to stay active and engaged with people you enjoy. Talking about your feelings of letdown with friends may help, and you may find they share similar feelings. As always, seek help from a professional if depression lingers.