by Alexis Tembra Neal

Created on: January 06, 2009

Post holiday blues..."It's over already?", "Is this all that I got?", "I was excited all year for that?". Are these quotes from a five year old child or a forty year old adult? Both. I think one way to get over post holiday blues is to start before the holiday even arrives. As adults we know, well hopefully we all know, that it is about "giving" not "receiving". I personally get more joy from seeing someones face light up when they open a gift from me than when I open one for myself. I love doing things for others and that is one of the reasons that I look forward to the holidays.

If you are lucky enough to have children around you for the holidays...man can they make it exciting! Let their passion bring back good memories that you have of when you were a child. Feed off of their enthusiasm and undoubted belief in the spirit of Christmas. Head straight into the holiday with the positive attitude that you are going to put smiles on someones face and that is all that matters. You are starting into a new year with an amazing karma check by your name!

After the holidays have passed and the Christmas tree is coming down, and the lights along the roof are now in a box in the garage, your house now looks so bland and lifeless. The weather outside is cold and wet and you can't remember the last time you even saw the sun shine. Everyone you know has some virus that is going around. Time for New Year's resolutions...stop smoking...lose weight...find a better job...why do we put so much pressure on ourselves? It is just another day on the calendar. Instead we reflect on the resolution list from the previous year and cry over what all we did not accomplish, which if you are like me...not one thing was checked done. I vowed this year to not do the traditional New Year's resolution list but to just set small goals for each and every day. So after one month has passed I could quite possibly have thirty checks as opposed to last years none. That sounds pretty great to me in fact I feel my post holiday blues lifting away and the sun still hasn't come out!

A few other ways to help lift the blues is to go to a tanning salon if you are in dire need of sunshine to lift your spirits. I know that it is not the same but it can help. I spent a winter in St. Louis and my car was completely snowed in for three weeks. I went completely bonkers. I took a taxi cab to a tanning salon and pretended that I was on a beach somewhere and just that one time helped me make it through another two months. Wear sunscreen! Also, try going to a YMCA or local gym and playing basketball or racquetball, something that is indoors where you can forget what is outside. Put on some summer clothes to play and before long you will think it is spring...and before long it will be spring.

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