INNER STRENGTH â—½ YOU
Life After Christmas
by Michelle Wyatt
How was your holiday? There are endless possible answers. Sometimes there is a drastic change in your environment. It goes from the chatter of various conversations to being so quiet that you can hear your own thoughts. Some feel a sigh of winding down to normalcy as something that’s less stressful. Some go through a period of depression where they are lonely and miss family, soon after they walk out the door.
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Reflecting on the holidays, I find to be important. It gives us a chance to put into perspective what happened and create memories by reinforcing what our favorite parts were. One can’t expect to go cold-turkey. A transition phase is healthy and important. Let’s say we have one person to stay before leaving, to help clean up, for example. We don’t have to put that task on ourselves to accomplish alone. Remember, we’re not functioning at a 100 percent because it takes so much energy, more than we realized, to host or be part of a social event of any kind, really.
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​Some people host Christmas after Christmas. So for those that read this and still have social gatherings to go to, one tip I have to minimize stress and protect your mental health is to not feel guilty for taking an adult time out, as I call it. For example…
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go to the restroom even if you don’t really need to go just to get a break even for a minute
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put water on your face and take your time washing your hands
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take some deep breaths
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if it’s nice enough outside, you can simply say you’re going to get some fresh air. Maybe ask if somebody wants to take a quick walk with you.
You don’t owe anybody an explanation. And I speak from experience. It takes a lot of inner strength to choose what we say and not say when we are emotionally charged.
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The phrase, “Don’t worry about what other people think” is honestly not so easy to do. Just when we think we’ve mastered those triggers, something brings that behavior up again. When that happens, give yourself grace. I know that life is a journey which involves a path with rocks and cracks and it isn’t straight. Maybe it goes up and down a hill.
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Regardless, pat yourself on the back for going through the journey. In fact, I’ve learned and it truly does help me to identify what feeling I’m experiencing, whether it’s sadness, anxiety or maybe just stress. Acknowledge those emotions as if they are people and let them know that they aren’t going to change what you do or who you are, and they’re not going to stay long.
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Keeping up decorations, at least the basics, after the main celebrating is gone, helps me remember that the season doesn’t end when people walk out the door. The winter season can bring about joy, sparkle, introspection, and thinking beyond the commercialism. I am reminded of this every year I go to church the Sunday after Dec. 25th. This will actually be the first year I attend a community church. I am looking forward to receiving the message that they give, the weeks following Christmas.
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What are you looking forward to? Whatever it is, however small, if I can do it, so can you!
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Happy New Year!