Caring for Yourself After the Holidays

The holidays often arrive with a mix of excitement, pressure, connection, and exhaustion. By the time they end, many people expect to feel relieved or refreshed. Yet instead, they feel depleted, low, or overwhelmed. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. 

When the decorations come down and the calendar stretches ahead with weeks (or months) of winter, it can be hard to know how to take care of yourself in a way that actually helps. This season asks for a different kind of care. One that’s slower, gentler, and more realistic. 

Below are thoughtful, therapy‑informed ways to support yourself after the holidays, while there’s still plenty of winter left to get through. 

Let Yourself Come Down From “Holiday Mode” 

The holidays often require us to be on. Managing family dynamics, financial stress, social obligations, travel, and expectations can be very challenging, even if those expectations are internal. Once it’s over, your nervous system may still be buzzing, or it may crash. 

Rather than rushing yourself back into productivity, see if you can acknowledge that your body and mind need recovery time. Feeling tired, emotional, or unmotivated doesn’t mean something is wrong, it often means you’ve been carrying a lot. 

Adjust Expectations for Winter — Not Just January 

Many people make plans in January as if energy will automatically rebound after the holidays. But winter is still winter. Shorter days, cold weather, and limited sunlight can affect mood, sleep, and motivation well into February or March. 

Instead of asking, “Why can’t I get it together?” try asking, “What’s realistic for me in this season?” 

You might want to try: 

• Setting smaller goals than usual 

• Building in more rest than you think you need 

• Let some nonessential tasks wait 

Self‑care in winter can look different. It’s not about doing more, but more about doing enough.  

Re‑Establish Gentle Routines 

The holidays tend to disrupt routines around sleep, meals, movement, and work. Jumping straight into strict schedules or big lifestyle changes can feel overwhelming and unsustainable. 

Instead, focus on sticking to a few helpful and healthy habits: 

• Waking up at a consistent time 

• Eating regular meals 

• Getting outside briefly during daylight 

• Creating a calming evening wind‑down 

These small rhythms help signal safety and predictability to your nervous system, which is especially important during darker months. 

Stay Connected, Even When You Want to Hibernate 

Winter can quietly increase isolation, particularly after the social intensity of the holidays. While it’s needed to rest and turn inward, connection still matters. This doesn’t have to mean big plans or constant socializing. A short phone call, a walk with a friend, or a therapy session can provide grounding and perspective without draining you. Connection can coexist with rest. 

Consider Support If Winter Feels Especially Heavy 

If you notice persistent sadness, anxiety, numbness, or difficulty functioning, it may be helpful to reach out for additional support. Seasonal changes can amplify existing stress, trauma, or depression and you don’t have to manage that alone.

Therapy can be a space to slow down, process what the holidays brought up, and build coping strategies that fit this season of your life. 

A Gentle Reminder 

You don’t need to optimize winter or power through it. This is a season that often calls for patience, compassion, and flexibility. 

Taking care of yourself after the holidays isn’t about fixing yourself — it’s about listening, adjusting, and offering care in a way that matches where you are right now. 

Spring will come. Until then, it’s okay to move gently. 

Reference: 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/seasonal-affective-disorder