What are the post-holiday blues?

Post-holiday blues are different from depression. They are temporary feelings of sadness and anxiety. These feelings can begin as the celebrations and events of the season wind down and as routines return to normal.

After a short adjustment period, the post-holiday blues typically resolve on their own and people begin to stress less. This isn’t always the case, though.

Sometimes returning to regular programming after being in holiday or vacation mode can be more challenging than anticipated.

Facing difficulties in getting back to a regular schedule may contribute to feeling disconnected or lost.

Experts say signs of declining mental health or depression to watch for include:

● Less energy and changes to sleep patterns
● Less motivation or interest
● Less connection or increased self isolation
● Feeling lost and lonely
● Irregular eating behaviours, such as over- or under-eating
● Excessive worry and/or feelings of hopelessness
● Feeling compelled to or self-medicating with alcohol, drugs, or other substances/activities
● Thoughts of self-harm

Post-Holiday Stress and Mental Health Risks

While stress is a normal, everyday part of life, it becomes a potential problem when we have less support and coping tools than necessary to manage in a healthy way.

Without healthy coping strategies, anxiety and depression can build. Dr. Josh Hamilton, a psychiatric nurse practitioner and the Assistant Vice President & Dean of Post-Licensure Programs at Rasmussen University explains it’s not uncommon for people to turn to drugs and alcohol for any form of temporary relief during this life stage.

This is considered self-medicating. Rather than actually help you or someone you love stress less, though, drugs and alcohol can seriously worsen the symptoms they initially helped to briefly relieve.

If you’ve turned to drugs or alcohol to try to avoid feeling lost, or to cope with anxiety and depression, you’re certainly not alone.

Research suggests substance use disorders (including substance misuse, abuse, and dependence) tend to begin in early adulthood and continue into later life stages if left untreated.

It’s estimated that over 20% of Canadians will face troubles with problematic substance use during their lifetime.

Top four substances of use:

● Alcohol
● Nicotine (tobacco)
● Cannabis
● Opioids

The Dangers of Self-Medicating

If you’re trying to stress less, self-medicating isn’t a safe solution. There are short term risks with alcohol use. These include anxiety, depression, and suicide.

If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, please reach out today for help.

Talk Suicide Canada is available 24/7.
Text message (SMS) 45645 or call toll-free 1-833-346-4566
If you are someone you know is in immediate crisis, dial 9-1-1.

Post-Holiday Blues or Anxiety and Depression?

Hamilton highlights how important environmental or relational context is when making sense of how we feel, too. Knowing the difference between post-holiday blues and a clinical disorder like anxiety, depression, PTSD, or behavioural addiction can help you or a loved one determine when to seek support.

It’s also crucial to consider how the past few pandemic years may have had a cumulative effect, and contributed to feeling lost.

What may have been cause for concern pre-pandemic, such as feeling lost in general, says Hamilton, is more understandable after what we’ve been through the past several years.

Questions to Ask

Answering these questions for yourself or someone you care about can help provide some perspective on whether you’re dealing with post-holiday blues or something more serious.

For example, are you feeling lost in life because you’re not sure if you’re on the right relationship track; if you want to have children; or if you’re in the right career, or, are you experiencing feeling lost when spending time with people (ie., feeling alone in a room full of people)?

Hamilton explains while some specific scenarios of feeling lost are to be entirely expected, other more general feelings may be cause for clinical consultation with a healthcare provider or mental health professional.

You can also try asking whether or not your feelings are associated with actually being alone during this season or if it’s a larger life stage issue.

More questions to ask:

● How do you feel when reflecting back on the whole year (not just the past holiday season)?
● Is there a particular trigger (person, place, thing) causing these feelings?
● Can you explain how you feel?

By taking some time in the post-holiday period to reflect, you gain some control or at least an awareness of where feeling lost might be coming from.

Finding Relief During Darker Days

The literal darkness of the winter and holiday season doesn’t help matters much, either.

Hamilton explains the shorter days, earlier nightfall, and colder temperatures take a toll on our collective mental health.

We can of course support our wellness during this season by focusing on nutrition, sleep, physical activity, and remaining as social as possible.

“To help alleviate symptoms of stress, pessimism, or melancholy that often come with feeling lost, lean into self-compassion and embrace progress over perfection. There’s no rush to get to some end destination. True joy is found in enjoying the journey,” says Jhas.

Beyond the Benefits of Connection

Hamilton highlights the power of connection in healing from feeling lost.

He says asking for help may begin by telling friends and family how you’re feeling or reaching out to a mental health professional.

If you feel you may benefit from additional support, or are not getting what you need to cope with anxiety and depression, there should be no shame in seeking a deeper level of support.

“It’s like returning to your doctor with a cough that won’t go away,” says Hamilton. This should not feel embarrassing, but it’s understandable due to stigma if you feel nervous bringing up symptoms that aren’t resolving.

“Have a conversation to explore what’s going on with you,” suggests Hamilton. This conversation can take place with your primary care provider or with a private provider.

True to Homewood Health’s legacy, Ravensview’s Cornerstone program takes an interdisciplinary and holistic approach to treatment to accommodate the full spectrum of adult needs including physical, mental, social, and spiritual health.

We understand the unique difficulties people may face during this time of year, and we are here to help.

Contact us today at 1-866-203-1793 or reach out online.

Resources:

Aderibigbe, O. O., Stewart, S. L., Hirdes, J. P., & Perlman, C. (2022). Substance Use among Youth in Community and Residential Mental Health Care Facilities in Ontario, Canada. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(3), 1731. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031731

Addiction Guide. Canadian Statistics.

Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction. Alcohol.

Hamilton, Josh. Personal Interview. December 2022.

Jhas, Sonia. Personal Interview. December 2022.