Avoid The Post Holiday Blues — Delilah’s Reflections

Ever felt like you're stuck in a rut after the excitement of the holidays come and go? Well, many others feel the same way around this time of year.

Delilah explains that you should restore the enthusiasm in your life by moving forward and doing something meaningful or fun or both!

After we take down the shiny decorations; after the parties and feasts go away; after the holiday music disappears and the warmth of the holiday feeling fades away, it can get downright depressing! For some people, it's just the opposite, and they're ready to clean up and move forward with gusto. Some years it's like that for me too. And others I get a little blue after all the excitement settles down and January is just...plain old January. So what can you do if you have "holiday letdown" and you want to restore some of that enthusiasm for life?
Continue the giving if you miss it so much and adopt a soldier! Plan a short trip out of town to somewhere sunny if you live in snow, or a trip to snow if you live somewhere sunny. Take a short walk outside a few times a week with a camera and capture some things you never noticed before. Treat yourself to little, inexpensive delights, even if it's a special cup of coffee. Volunteer at a place that needs people year around, not just during the holiday season. You can get some real perspective and find real joy helping those who have less than you do.
Take a class and learn to paint, cook, dance, knit, etc. Start a book club with friends and neighbors. Invite a friend over for pedicures, a movie and appetizers, football, or simply to enjoy the yummy chili recipe I posted below. Nothing says you have to be stuck in solitary confinement just because the social holiday season is over.
Start a January tradition like "No Fuss Fridays" where Friday dinners involve ice cream or cereal or leftovers or take out, and other creative ways that don't involve cooking or cleaning. Tackle a room or closet you've been meaning to clean but do it the fun way by singing along with loud music in the background. Nothing feels better than a clean house and mood-lifting music. Okay, something that might feel better is treating yourself to a nice full-tilt bubble bath, complete with relaxing music, candles and lots of bubbles!
Just a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
The point is you have to move forward and do something - meaningful or fun or both! Grab a friend and do it together. It is possible to lift your mood with simple actions and make January its own uniquely wonderful month!

What do YOU do to cheer up after the excitement of the holidays fade away? Comment below!