January has always been one of my favourite months (strange, I know!). I’ve never had to research ways for parents to beat the post-Christmas blues because I’ve never experienced it before. Usually, I’ll be staring at the bare living room, glad to see the back of Christmas and happy to have back the space where the Christmas tree usually stands.
This January, however, I’m feeling a little sad and demotivated. We had a much busier Christmas than usual, and it’s had an impact on my mood now that it’s all over. Anyone is at risk of experiencing the post-Christmas blues, but I think it’s especially common for parents. So, I thought I’d share a few things that I’ve been doing to get myself feeling normal again after two weeks of busy festive activities.
Here are seven ways for parents to beat the Christmas comedown:
Tidy the house
Putting the Christmas decorations away can be a depressing process for some, especially parents. It’s a reminder that Christmas is over and, if your kids were anything like mine and unwrapped all of their gifts within ten minutes, you’ll probably be staring at the now-empty spot where you placed all those gifts and sighing.
BUT…
Tidying away the Christmas decorations gives us all that space back, which is why I usually enjoy the process. After a small blip this time, I’ve come to my senses and accepted that it’s time to move on. It’s nice to have the living room back to normal (even if it does look a little bare!).
January is the perfect time to tidy not just the living room but also the rest of the house. We’ve cleared out any clothes and toys that the children have outgrown, and it feels great to have more space. Okay, so that space will be filled with all the new toys the kids received at Christmas, but it’s better than them having too many clothes and toys, right?!
As any parent will already know, it’s hard to have a completely tidy home when you have young children. Creating some space for all those new toys in the aftermath of the festive season and avoiding clutter is sure to be a mood-booster, though!
Have a healthy diet
Ok, so this is easier said than done when you still have a cheesecake in the freezer and an unopened tub of nibbles in the cupboard that you have an urge to break into every time you go in there. With a little willpower, though, it can be achieved!
Out with the mini pizzas and sausage rolls and in with the fruit and vegetables!
Notice that I didn’t say out with the chocolate? That’s because giving up chocolate will NEVER be one of my New Year’s resolutions. Never. I’ll be cutting down as part of my new healthy eating regime, but giving it up completely? Nope!
Everything in moderation!
And starting the year by getting healthy while still enjoying the occasional treat is sure to be one of the best ways to beat the post-Christmas blues!
Go for family walks
Walking has been proven to boost mental health. There’s no better way to overcome the Christmas comedown than by getting out and about and exploring the frost-covered scenery!
Yes, it’s bitterly cold in the UK at this time of year, but there are many benefits to winter walks. Parents of young children don’t often get the opportunity to be out late during those early years. This means that if you love walks at sunset like me, you won’t get to see many of them in summer! But in winter, the sun sets much earlier. It’s the perfect time to enjoy a family walk while stopping for a hot chocolate along the way.
Walking is one of the best ways for parents to beat the post-Christmas blues while also tiring out the kids!
Make a New Year’s resolution
Not everyone is a fan of the whole “new year, new me” approach. For some, though, having a New Year’s resolution can make January much more tolerable.
Whether it’s doing more travelling or simply just making more time for yourself, setting a new goal and being determined to achieve it can be one of the best ways to beat the post-Christmas blues. It’s important to avoid beating yourself up if you don’t achieve it, though. Life can be busy for parents, and it’s not always easy for us to hit our personal goals!
There’s always next year (which will arrive very soon, especially if you’re aged 35+, because time seems to speed up when you reach this age bracket!).
Have a routine
Christmas is the absolute worst time for sticking to a routine. This past Christmas was one of the most chaotic ones I’ve had since becoming a parent. The kids were far too excited to go to bed early in the days leading up to Christmas, and the days between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve consisted of me trying to coax the 6-year-old away from his new LEGO sets at bedtime. This, along with family gatherings and meet-ups with friends and their children, has considerably interrupted our usual routine.
I’m finding it much harder to get back to normal this time, but with a little strictness (not just with my kids, but also myself), I’m slowly getting there.
Having a routine is one of the best ways for parents to beat the post-Christmas blues. By getting back to those early nights and early mornings, things can start to feel normal again. It may take a week or so, but Christmas will soon feel like ages ago, and your mind and body will feel much more rested!
Have some quiet time
This one is for people like me, who often find themselves feeling exhausted after a lot of socialising over the festive season. After two whole weeks of seeing family and friends, I’m ready for some quiet time. The kids are back at school, the husband is back at work, and I can now focus on myself. Having that quiet time to work, read, or just to have a hot drink and stare at my tidy home (before the kids come home and make a mess again) really helps to boost my mood.
Of course, having quiet time can be hard if you have pre-school-aged children or if you homeschool. But there are still ways. I used to read or make myself a hot drink and enjoy the silence while my children napped. If I couldn’t grab that quiet time while they were napping, then I’d give them a little bit of screentime after an activity to help us all wind down.
It’s all about doing whatever you can to get through the day. Having that moment to wind down after a busy festive season can really help beat the post-Christmas blues!
Make plans
The year is new! There’s a whole eleven months until Wham’s Last Christmas starts blasting out of the speakers in the supermarkets again. Plenty of time to fit in some new experiences! So instead of feeling sad that Christmas is over, consider planning something else exciting. It doesn’t have to be an expensive family holiday or another experience that will break the bank. It could be a simple day trip to a National Trust location or a day out to a city.
Even the smallest of trips can result in the best memories!
Avoid the Christmas movie channels…or maybe don’t?
Scroll past any channels that play Christmas movies all year round, no matter how much your kids beg you to put them on. These movies are sure to worsen your mood.
Or maybe I’m just thinking entirely of myself here.
If you do have access to channels that play Christmas movies all year round and you think it’ll help to boost your mood, then enjoy! Putting on a Christmas movie and keeping some festive cheer in your home may end up being one of the best ways to beat the post-Christmas blues (it certainly helped Andy Park!).
There’s no law against having a little festivity in your home all year round (just try to avoid annoying anyone in the family home who hates watching Christmas movies in summer in the process).
And so…
Whether you decide to do one of the above or maybe even all of them, I hope you feel ready to take on the rest of January soon!
