After the Christmas holidays many of us feel sad and down in tone: let's try to understand the causes of this phenomenon
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerousAfter the Christmas holidays many of us feel sad and down in tone: let's try to understand the causes of this phenomenon
Christmas has passed, greetings have been exchanged, presents have been opened, holiday treats have been tasted ad nauseam. We should feel fully satisfied that we have been able to experience this traditionally joyful time again this year with friends, family, children or parents - yet many of us feel sad, dejected and disheartened right after Christmas.
Why does this happen? Psychologists speak of a state similar to that of depression (although less intense and yet more lasting than pathological depression) which occurs to many people in the days immediately following those of the holidays. The most common symptoms of this state are melancholy, a sense of emptiness, a lack of goals, and can last for weeks or even months, if not promptly countered.
Read also: There is a name for the sense of emptiness you are feeling: it is called languor
New year, new goals
At the top of the list of reasons that lead to post-Christmas "depression", according to experts, there is certainly the absence of goals: set goals and actively work to achieve them it's the goad that pushes us forward - be it wellness, like working out every day or losing a few pounds, or personal growth, like graduating or learning a new language, or professions, like changing jobs or getting a promotion. Goals are what keep us motivated, excited and willing to commit to something; Furthermore, having goals and seeing progress as you progress increases self-esteem, pride and excitement.
This also happens in the period of preparation for Christmas: we organize lunches, dinners and parties; we invite friends or plan meetings with distant relatives; let's decorate the house for the holidays; we are committed to finding the perfect gift for everyone and we spend a lot of time shopping and gift wrapping… in short, we have many goals during the holidays that help keep our enthusiasm high for Christmas. Unfortunately, however, when the objectives are reached, the unpleasant feeling of emptiness and loss of which we spoke earlier takes over: we are unmotivated because we no longer know what to do.
The best way to solve this problem is to find new goals that can stimulate us for the weeks to come. At the beginning of the new year, we dedicate some of our time to ask ourselves what we want to achieve in the coming months, what direction we want to give our life and what we imagine will give us happiness. We can write a list of goals for the new year (perhaps dedicating a notebook on purpose to keep track of the progress made in their direction) or, if we are more creative, we can create a vision board - in practice, a collage of images and phrases that inspire and motivate us in achieving our goals. In this way, we will chase away the post-Christmas sadness.
(Read also: Stop suffering, you deserve to be happy!)
Dedicate yourself to self-care
Party binges may have left us one unpleasant sense of guilt for the calories consumed and for the extra pounds that our scales mercilessly tell us. According to a recent study, people gain weight on average half a kilo during the holiday season: this extra weight, while not excessive, can be difficult to dispose of in the following weeks and this contributes to making us feel sad and dejected. But not only that: in addition to eating more (preferring, among other things, more fatty and caloric foods), we also tend to take more alcohol and sleep more. In short, we indulge in some excess that we usually do not allow ourselves during the year - and for this we feel guilty.
Even if the damage is now done, the remedy still exists: that's enough establish a new routine of healthy habits which can help us get back on track and live a healthier life. We always go to bed at the same time and wake up regularly, we start going to the gym (perhaps with a friend, in order to be more motivated), we drink lots of water and herbal teas to purify the body, we eliminate from our daily life nougat, salted peanuts and slices of pandoro that are still at home: all this will improve our mood and allow us to quickly lose the weight accumulated during the holidays.
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