kind of suck at holidays. Mr Smaggle does too. In 2013 we went to Thailand for a relaxing and rejuvinating holiday and we ended up climbing mountains like lunatics, walking 30kms per day and sleeping very little. I think it’s because we’re a bit scared of the holiday blues… they come and get you at weird times when you’re supposed to be the most relaxed and happy you’ve been all year. If you’re the same you need to employ these little tips to help you beat those nasty holiday sads…
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1. Move your butt
When you aren’t working everyday you remove at least half of your incidental activity like walking to your building, going up and down stairs and running around your office. I cannot stress enough how detrimental inactivity is for your mental health. Go do a load of washing, walk to get a coffee or have a spring clean. Get up and get some shit done. Yes it’s a holiday but that isn’t an excuse to go all slug puddle on the situation. No one said holidays weren’t for moving.
2. Learn how to do something
Holidays are the perfect time to learn to crochet, do some drawing, paint something and tackle that giant DIY craft board you’ve spent 2 years making on Pinterest. Now is the time grasshopper… get to it!
3. Write lists
Of things that you want to get done over the holidays, of things that you want to achieve in the new year or of things that you want to achieve in five years time. The problem with the holidays is that often we feel purposeless as we are not working or studying. You don’t have to DO anything on the lists just simply writing them will give you a sense of clarity and help you relax.
4. Volunteer
See what volunteer programs are available in your area – you might like to walk dogs at your local shelter or volunteer at a food van. At the very least you should give blood because holidays are when blood is needed the most. It will make you feel all glowy inside I promise!
5. Eat well
Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve are your only free days over the holidays. Don’t think that if you eat sugar, refined carbohydrates, salt and fat for your whole holiday that you’ll feel good. You won’t. Eat some salad, have some salmon. Perhaps an apple? I promise you’ll feel better.
6. Sleep… but not too much
Avoid the temptation to over sleep and try to stick to your normal sleeping patterns. A few sleep ins or late nights here and there won’t hurt.
7. Unplug
Checking your Facebook, blog, Twitter and email twenty times while you’re on holiday just isn’t necessary. Turn the damn things off and get outside, read a book or talk to three dimensional people.
8. Avoid alcohol
It’s a depressant. Enough said. By all means have a glass of champers on New Year but don’t waste your yearly recovery time on being hungover.
9. Deal with it
Really ask yourself why you’re sad. Most of the time it’s simply because your routine is out of whack. Now compare that to some one who REALLY has a reason to be sad. It’s not the end of the world that your favourite restaurant is shut until mid January and your best friend is in Bali.
10. Get dressed.
Properly. Every day. There’s something about the holidays that turns even the best of us into slobs. If you look good, you feel good. Oh and just a side note to those in the Southern Hemisphere who spend the holidays at the beach – the ocean? It’s not a shower. So don’t treat it like one.
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Do you suffer from the holiday blues? How do you get your head back in the holiday game?
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13 Comments
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I like to set myself a task for each day. It can be large, like clean out cupboard in the spare room, or quite small like polish the kettle and toaster, vacuum the floor of the garage, do the shredding that’s been building up fro 6 months. As long as I feel I have achieved something useful each day, I cope much better with holidays. Somehow I need to feel I’ve earned a sit down to watch a movie or read a book. I do struggle a bit every year with post Christmas depression – every time I pack the tree away I get the blues a bit. It’s probably because there’s so much hype and buildup to the day, it’s a bit of a let down when it’s all over.
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Oh totally! Packing away the Christmas tree is totally depressing. Mr Smaggle made me a tape one this year so I have to peel it off the wall… so sad! I love the idea of just doing one task every day! I’m back at work today but taking it easy so that will be a good thing for the evenings for me!
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Lists are awesome. I get to cross something off, be it a daily chore or something that’s more of a one-off. Or seasonal. At the moment, if I’m picking up the windfall peaches each day, that’s an achievement. Then I have no guilt about lying down on the sofa reading. But it also means that the house is still neat and under control – small chores don’t get forgotten, so home remains a restful place to be.
A big one for me this break was resting. I was stupid tired at the end of 2014 and desperately needed rest (I so wish I could afford to retire). So nothing big has been done, but one little thing a day? Totally doable. And if REST is on the list as well as sweep the floor, yep, done and done 🙂
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Oh I did the same thing! I slept for like 9 hours every night. It was amazing and felt so indulgent… back to work today so I only got 5 hours last night! Boo hoo! ;-(
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I love going through my recipe file during the holidays. All through the year, I cut out recipes from magazines and put them in this file, and then leave them there without another glance. So when I’ve got time off I like to sift through it and make some of the recipes. Not only does it give me a chance to try new foods and develop new skills, I will also freeze portions of meals so that when I go back to work, I have some delicious, healthy options for dinners and lunches that will take no effort to prepare.
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Oh that’s a great idea! I have a whole folder of book marked recipes! I’ll start wading through them whenever I start feeling a bit holiday bagiggity!
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thanks smags! … need a bit of help hun!
I’m pretty good at not having lists, directions and the like and that is my perfect way of being!
but we have people staying! … including two small children! and i’m so out of whack it’s not funny! … i need time out to tap into creativity! … are we there yet! lol m:)X-
Oh I love that you embrace your chaos! That’s brilliant. Hope everything went well with the guests… I’m sure you were a perfect host!
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Oh my goodness! I’ve broken all the rules; had pyjama days, long lie ins, have acquired some new tummy rolls (I’ve named them Fudge and Rocky, as in Road,) and have enjoyed an ocean of bubbles. However, in my defence, I’ve worked all over the silly season (except the public holidays) so I guess it doesn’t count because I’m not really on holidays at all. Under normal circumstances, I always try to beat the post holiday blues by planning the next one! And if I am off work over yuletide, I do as you say, and keep it business as usual, especially with the munching and moving.
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It’s totally essential to keep moving and eating well… I just lose the plot if I don’t. I have to admit though post-Christmas day, I spent 12 hours on the couch and binge watched American Horror Story while eating rice crackers. It was amazing. No regrets.
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I’ve started with the list writing. I’ve just come back from an impromptu short holiday that I totally didn’t plan or expect and it has left me out of whack. Today because of the heat in Melb and feeling rather unwell, I think the rush and strees of Christmas and the short holiday has finally caught up with me. I’ve been working on getting things tidied up on and around my desk. Finishing the projects that I never go finished before Christmas. I make handmade greeting cards. Catching up on emails and blogs that I love to read. Tomorrow I plan on tackling the laundry pile and some cleaning. Slowly but I’m getting there.
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Oh the hot weather in Melbourne has me feeling almost permanently nauseous! I hate it… bring back winter I say! x
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I second bringing back winter, though I avoided the hideous 40C where I was in woop woop far eastern beachside Victoria, back now and I have engaged the household in decluttering for charity/rubbish bin-recycle bin and a weekend garage sale…all monies can be theirs for summer outings. I want crap outta my house. It will get people out of bed by midday. This will keep me and teens going and in separate spaces in the days I am home.
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