Navigating Post-Holiday Blues: Setting Mental Health Goals for 2025

Ever find yourself feeling low after the holiday lights dim and the festive spirit fades? Well, you're not alone. In our latest Wednesdays with Watson episode, we uncover the post-holiday letdown many experience and offer practical insights into managing those overwhelming emotions. We explore the triggers that might arise from family gatherings and the weight of grief, especially when the winter skies feel endlessly gray. Get ready to learn how setting mental health goals and focusing on sleep can reinvigorate your spirit as you transition back to your daily routine.

The emotional rollercoaster during and after the holiday season is real, and we're here to help you navigate it. We dive into valuable self-care practices like journaling, setting boundaries, and reaching out for therapy. By acknowledging and honoring your emotions without judgment, you can build resilience and find peace in shared experiences. This episode is a heartfelt conversation about prioritizing rest, nutrition, and support, all vital for maintaining emotional health as you step into a new year.

2025 is here, and it's time to set your mental health compass. This episode is packed with actionable tips on mindfulness, physical activity, and nurturing relationships with supportive individuals. We explore the unwavering role of faith in navigating life's challenges and express our gratitude for the enduring spirit of our listeners. As we embark on this new year, we’re excited for future topics, including a series on generational trauma. Join us on this journey of growth, resilience, and steadfast faith.

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Chapters

• 0:03 Navigating Post-Holiday Letdown and Blues
• 11:51 Coping With Post-Holiday Emotions
• 20:56 Setting Mental Health Goals for 2025
• 26:35 Reliance on Faith and God

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:03

Hey everybody, and welcome back to the Wednesdays with Watson podcast. It is December, the actually, when you're listening to this, it is January, the 1st, 2025. Happy New Year, guys. It has been a good year in so many ways, but now, as we embark on another year, I am so excited to see what this year will bring for us. If you're new to the podcast, thank you so much for listening. I do hope that you will hit that subscribe button or follow button right there while you're in your podcast app, so that you could be sure that you know when we drop new episodes. Guys, we are nearing five years of the Wednesdays with Watson podcast, and I can hardly believe the opportunity that we've had all around the world to be in the earbuds of people who listen because they want to understand how to navigate this life with trauma and faith, and so we are going to continue to do that. For today's episode, though, that is dropping on New Year's Day, I wanted for us to just talk a little bit about some things that are very significant to this time of year, and so I hope that you will stay tuned here and drop into this episode with me as we talk about the post-holiday letdown we're going to talk about how we can approach what is the inevitable post holiday letdown? Also, what about those family triggers that happen at your family outings when you were spending time with the holidays? What about those of you, like me, who had some grief during the holidays? Maybe this was an anniversary of a death and this time of year is always hard for you. What about that? How about understanding seasonal affective disorder? For those of you guys not in the sunshine state, like I am here in Florida, what is seasonal affective disorder? How are some ways that we can manage it? And then, finally, we can set some goals, some mental health goals, for the new year. And so, since this episode is dropping on January 1, I wanted it to be one that was timely. We do plan to drop back into our series of generational trauma. We had our one episode with Mama Gowan that will be linked in the show notes for the silent generation and how they handle trauma, and then next up will be the baby boomers. But we've taken a little bit of a break and wanted to be a little bit more relevant to the time in the last couple episodes, and so let's drop into this podcast about these things that we all are going to deal with now that we are in the new year and, for the most part, the holidays are behind us. Well, we did it, guys. It is January 1st 2025, and the holidays are officially behind us. I don't know about you, but it seemed like it was literally just the 4th of July and now we are in a new year.

Speaker 1: 3:06

So the holidays are just such a time. It's often a whirlwind of activity, connection that we normally don't have, right with family. We're seeing people more at church than we do often and, more important than that, the holidays bring with it somehow, with the flip of the calendar, this extremely high expectation that things have to be perfect and that we we have to be all things to all people. And it's just really we set ourselves up for disaster after the holidays, hence the post holiday letdown, because when the decorations come down and we're not having church 185 times a week and the music maybe isn't as happy on our radios or we don't have twinkling lights in our house, when those things happen and life returns to normal, it is so, so common for us to feel this sense of sadness and even emptiness, because the just the hope that the holiday brings and people are usually in better moods and it's just an amazing, magical time of year, no matter what way you look at it. And then January 1st hits and we are staring down the barrel of winter and sadness and maybe even some feeling of emptiness as we settle into our lives after having just an amazing time with our friends and family. Or maybe, if you struggle through those times, then you're walking into another struggle. So we do know that there's this thing called the post-holiday blues, and I think the thing that is most important to talk about here is that this is a very natural response, and so, if you're feeling that this is a very natural response, it reminds me a lot of when we used to go to summer camp, and summer camp was amazing, you know. We got to spend time with our friends and and they kept us busy until we dropped and most of us heard some of the best preaching of our lives and we left there and we came home to real life and it was a vast drop off of that cliff, and so this is a natural response to some of you may be feeling sad and empty and man, I got to take down the Christmas decorations and just the dread that is coming.

Speaker 1: 5:14

You might be finding yourself tired, low on energy as you adjust back to your routine. And I think it's really important here to mention that you should be adjusting to your routine sleep routine, eat routine, those kinds of things because that is just good for you. Anyway lived in the last four to six weeks as you adjust back into just your normal life without all these extra things. It's going to be feel weird to you, but you're going to feel low on energy, and that is likely because when we do things during the holidays and we get to see people that we've not seen before, we're mostly running off of adrenaline, and when that adrenaline is not there anymore, your body will pay that price and will tell you that story. So make sure that you are practicing really good sleep hygiene dark bedroom, cold bedroom, try not to be around blue lights, try not to be scrolling on your phone, go to bed at the same time, wake up at the same time.

Speaker 1: 6:19

But if you're feeling tired and low on energy as you're adjusting back to this routine, feeling tired and low on energy as you're adjusting back to this routine, know that that is very normal. Also, if you just kind of have this sense of sadness or emptiness, that's normal, right, because you have just been going to parties and seeing families and opening presents and giving presents and going to church and listening to amazing music, and now it's January 1st, and now what? And so if you feel a sense of sadness or emptiness, that is very normal. You're coming off of a mountaintop of experience most of you anyway and coming down to normal life, and so if you feel sad about that, know that that is normal. Don't try to run from it, don't self-medicate it, don't cope with it in some way. That's unhealthy. Just know that it's okay to be sad. It's okay to be just yourself, just on a bad day for a little while, as you adjust back to life that is not full of hopeful, bustful activity like we have at Christmas.

Speaker 1: 7:22

If you have a difficulty in focusing or feeling unmotivated, especially at work, know that this is normal. I'm recording this on December the 30th, and this is the week when none of us really know what day of the week it is, because it is just a kind of a week of weirdness. And so if you are having a difficulty when you press play on this feeling focused and unmotivated, that is super, super normal, and so, if you're feeling the holiday blues, there are some things that you can do In addition to what I'm always going to mention to you, thanks to my friend, lauren Starnes, is paying attention to your movement, paying attention to your eating, paying attention to your drinking, pay attention to your sleeping. Those things will set you up to get back onto life that is not on the mountaintop like we often experience during the Christmas season. To do that, I want you to set some small, achievable goals for the week, like I literally just want to put on my tennis shoes and walk outside for five minutes three times this week. Easing back into that routine with bite sized tasks will help you regain the momentum that you maybe feel like you have lost.

Speaker 1: 8:29

Also, take some time to reflect on the positive moments from the holiday season. This can be as simple as flipping through photos or writing down a favorite memory. This addresses more of that sadness and that emptiness feeling. Do some creative projects, like putting together collages or putting together a memory book or something that is just going to make you smile when you look, if you were fortunate enough to have a happy Christmas season, when you're able to look back at all of the videos and the pictures that will do a lot for your soul, as you're able to find gratitude that you were able to experience such a joyous experience of Christmas. Also, this is one of my favorite things to do, and this is something that I try to do 365 days a year, not just in the Christmas season. I always try to have something to look forward to.

Speaker 1: 9:19

So if you're feeling sad and empty because of the holiday season, you can. You can do something by planning something to look forward to, whether it's just a coffee date with a friend, a day trip or even just an evening to yourself with a good book or a movie plan something to look forward to. I always have something on the calendar. I just had the opportunity just yesterday to have dinner with a new friend of mine, and a habit that I have learned from one of my other friends was let's go ahead and get the next date on the calendar, and so we did that, and so now I have that to look forward to.

Speaker 1: 9:54

And so, as you're navigating some sadness or emptiness, those are some things that you can do, but the mostly you just need to know that it's normal. You probably also mostly need to understand that you are likely sleep deprived and need some rest. And so if you're feeling tired, take some time to take care of yourself. Make sure that you're moving your body, make sure that you're eating good, healthy foods, make sure you're drinking plenty of water and make sure you're getting plenty of sleep. So that is one reason why you might be feeling down during the holiday or after the holidays is because you had such an amazing time that this that you're coming down off at the mountaintop.

Speaker 1: 10:34

But what about those of you that had to navigate familial triggers during the holidays? You know, for many of us, the holidays do bring us geographically closer to family, and that can be, most the time, a blessing, but can also be a challenge. Because even in the most loving family, we know that old patterns, unresolved tensions and differing values can resurface, and it leaves us emotionally drained. And so you sometimes come off of the Christmas season after. You know, faking it until you're making it and just really trying to keep the peace, is that you're extremely tired or even just a feeling of unease. And so if you had some weird exchanges with your family during the holidays that are triggering you a little bit, just know that you have people in a room that have these shared past experiences and these shared unresolved conflict, and so it's going to stir up some issues and it can come across as argumentative or people being passive, aggressive or just feeling like I don't even want to be here with anybody anymore.

Speaker 1: 11:51

And so if you had an unfortunate familial trigger during the holidays and you're feeling some kind of way because of that, there's some things that you can do, and the first thing you need to do is give yourself permission to feel those emotions. Acknowledge the frustration, acknowledge the sadness, acknowledge the anger. And here's the thing and I learned this, I would say, in 2024. Acknowledge it without judgment. So, if you're feeling mad because of a familial trigger you had, or you're feeling sad, or you're feeling nothing, or you're feeling nothing. Don't assign any judgment to it. Sit in it, because the only way through that is through it. And so you need to give yourself permission to feel those emotions and not feel like you need to set aside those emotions because maybe somebody, somewhere, taught you that you shouldn't feel that way.

Speaker 1: 12:43

If you're feeling sad at the end of the holidays because of some of these triggers that you had, I think it's really important for you to make sure that you give yourself permission to feel these things. Also, you might have learned some things during these holidays. Maybe next year you will set some boundary for future interactions with people that may have triggered you during the holidays and I hope that you will learn that it is okay to say no to situations that are going to be triggering to you. And so, as you think back to some triggering situations that you may have during these holidays, as you're giving yourself permission to feel those emotions, you may want to journal somewhere, hey, next year make sure that I am not alone with X and so that you set these boundaries and so that, going into next year, that you just say no to the things that are going to potentially put you in these triggering situations that are going to potentially put you in these triggering situations.

Speaker 1: 13:37

Also, if you're trying to just kind of navigate that during this past holiday, make sure you and you're going to hear me say that a couple times in this episode make sure that you're engaging in some self-care practices. You could be journaling about the experiences, praying about it, maybe even talking to friends about it, talking to your therapist about it, but those are, those are self care practices after being triggered familial like this that can actually turn into good for you and growth for you, instead of you shaming yourself for feeling those feelings and those interactions that may have triggered you. Be grateful, I think that's. That is that that goes without saying for the positive aspects of your family relationships. But you do recognize those areas that need some work too, and so for those of you that are dealing with some of those things, just know that navigating these familial triggers can be tough, but when you reflect on the moments and planning for future interactions, you can actually use what you're feeling in the gut of your stomach right now to make the future better. You can reduce the stress and protect your emotional health for the next holiday season as it pertains to these triggering familial interactions.

Speaker 1: 14:51

And so we might be feeling sad just because of the letdown. We might be feeling sad because of these triggering familial interactions. You might be feeling sad because you, like me, were navigating grief after the holidays. For me, both, my mom died in December and, for those of you who've been listening to the podcast for a while, mama Bootsy, somebody really close to me, was very sick this time last year and died around this time of year, and so the holidays are always a really, really strong reminder to me of loved ones that I have lost, and maybe that's true for you too. And then so once all the you know the mountaintop experience of the season ends, those feelings of grief are still here, and I know that's true for me. They stay around, and they're even felt more intensely now, because they that I don't have quite literally, you know, rainbows and butterflies, or or glitter and lights, if you want to do the Christian version of that. Now, it's just life, and I'm still left here with my grief. You're still left here with your grief, and so, whether it's the first holiday season without someone or somebody like my mom that died 30 years ago, grief is just amplified during this time.

Speaker 1: 16:05

It's really important, guys, that you acknowledge that, that you acknowledge that grief is natural and ongoing process. It's really important, if you're feeling sad after the holidays due to grief, that you honor those feelings instead of suppressing them. If you need to cry, that's your body's way of letting it out cry. I encourage you to cry, allow yourself space to feel sad, reflective and maybe even angry, because grief after the holidays is something that we don't talk enough about Because, like I said, we've gone from glitter and lights to normal life and you're still left here with your grief. And so, if that's you is something that we don't talk enough about Because, like I said, we've gone from glitter and lights to normal life and you're still left here with your grief. And so, if that's you, I hope that you will give yourself some space to be in that place. But some things that you can help to navigate it is create some rituals to honor your loved ones. I've seen some really cool things done with this as it pertains to ornaments on trees and things like that.

Speaker 1: 17:00

Seek connection with others who understand people that share your grief. Talking to people who have shared those experiences that only you guys know because you lost the same person, can be comforting after the holidays and help you make sure that you are connecting with other people. I'm going to talk again about self care. Grief is literally physically exhausting. You really need to prioritize rest and nutrition and movement. Like we've said many, many times already, if you during this, after this holiday season, are dealing with grief and obviously if the grief becomes completely overwhelming and doesn't get better, you know what I'm going to say you need to go get some help.

Speaker 1: 17:44

But there's no timeline for grief and it's okay to ask for support, it's okay to take these steps to take care of yourself, as we are now going into the normal part of the year without all of the mountaintop experiences, and so if you're feeling sad just because we're coming off of that mountaintop experience, or you're feeling sad because you're you had some familial triggers, or you're feeling sad because, like me, you had some grief during the holidays and it happens to be an anniversary of something that you remember every year, I hope that you are finding some hope and knowing that you're not alone and that, while there are many answers to these things, the most important one, the one that you're going to hear the most, is taking care of yourself, and that we have an episode when the body talks, and that is with my friend, lauren Starnes has been a game changer for me and the year 2024. Paying attention to what I, how much I move, paying attention to my eating habits, paying attention to my drinking and hydration and pay attention to my sleep that spells meds, guys, and I just think that's. That was something pointed out to me by Dr Pettit, actually. And so if you're feeling sad off of after the Christmas season. I highly encourage you to hyper focus on taking care of yourself.

Speaker 1: 18:59

The other thing I did want to mention, because we do have listeners all around the world, and in the United States especially. We are headed into January, and even in Florida, I think next week is supposed to be like 90 degrees here in Florida, and so we're, you know, the days are shorter, we wake up, you go to work in dark and we come home in dark, and so let's talk quickly about seasonal affective disorder, which is just more than the winter blues. Seasonal affective disorder is this type of depression that is linked to the seasonal changes, and it's really really common in these fall and winter months and less sunlight. Seasonal affective disorder affects people due to exposure to sunlight, actually, and which is interesting because it does disrupt our body's internal clock, and so then what happens is you get lower serotonin levels, serotonin being one of the happy neurotransmitters in your brain. You have less of that to draw from, and so your mood is highly affected by lower serotonin levels. You might be asking how do I know if I have SAD? You know if you've got a persistent low mood. You don't have any interest in things that you normally enjoy. You are isolating, you're not taking care of your ADLs, like brushing your teeth, taking a shower. That kind of thing Changes in your appetite, changes in your sleep, like you're sleeping too much or too little. Those are. These are some things that could indicate, especially if you live in areas that that are cold and you know for months on end might be something to think about, because anybody can experience that, but it is more more common in people that live in those regions with long winters with minimal sunlight not Florida for the most part, but there are some really cool ways to manage SAD and just briefly share a little about those with. That with you is light therapy, exercise, connection and, obviously, professional help.

Speaker 1: 20:56

I want to end this podcast the first of 2025, with an encouragement for all of us to set some mental health goals for the new year, and so we've talked in this episode some practical ways of navigating post holiday blues. Whether that be just because of the mountaintop experience and now you're just in normal life, or you had some really weird and uncomfortable familial triggers, or you were navigating grief during the holidays, or if you are now dealing with seasonal affective disorder, all of those have ways to, are ways that we can really be, really have to focus on taking care of ourselves and our mental health as we go through these winter months, and so you're not alone if you're feeling a letdown after the holidays for any of those reasons, and we've talked in this episode about how you can take care of yourself with that. But as we move on to the new year, it is a great time for us to set intentions for improving our mental health. These goals don't have to be huge. They can be small, actionable steps. I was talking to somebody today and I said you know what I'm only going to take. The next step that is lit for me and that takes so much stress out of what the future holds is the next step will be lit for me and I will take that one. But we are going to set some mental health goals and so, for example, practice mindfulness daily, and you guys don't have to tell me on social media if you're, if you're, if you pick up on any of these, but I'd love to know if you're going to do any of these, but these are some that I had written down. Practice mindfulness daily, even for just five minutes, so I have this app on my phone is by john Eldridge, and every day at 10. And at two it buzzes and it says hey, it's time for your one minute pause. Do you guys know? I don't ever do it, ever, and so I want to do that. So I'm going to say practice mindfulness daily, even if it's just for two minutes. Even if I just did the mindful pause at 10 and at two, that would be two minutes, and that is a time when we say a prayer Jesus, I give everything and everybody to you. And so practice mindfulness daily is a good mental health goal.

Speaker 1: 23:12

Also, we talk about this a lot movement commit to regular physical activity. Also, we talk about this a lot movement commit to regular physical activity, such as weekly walks, daily walks or yoga sessions. I tell people at the hospital all the time and this is something that I learned when I went through that program with Lauren when the body talks is about movement was when I would go for a walk. I would make it about making it a cardio event, when really I needed to be making it just moving my body event so that the trauma that is stuck or the anxiety that is stuck can get moved out. And so when I walk now. I walk slowly and deliberately, moving both of my arms and kind of a swaying motion not weird, but you know where. I'm moving as much of my body as I can to move some of that angst through, and so committing to regular physical activity is a good goal. That's one that I'm going to do.

Speaker 1: 24:00

Prioritize sleep by setting a consistent bedtime and creating a relaxing nighttime routine. We'll probably do an episode or two on sleep hygiene on here, but good goal would be to prioritize sleep journal, if you don't already. Also make a list of people who support you and reach out to one of those people every week. I love that one. Um, this was just an idea that came to me was like you know what, if I just once a week reached out to somebody who supported me, I would have somebody to talk to every week. And so make a list of people that support you and reach out to them one time each week. Limit, limit screen time.

Speaker 1: 24:38

Remember what we talk about sometimes on this podcast abandon, excuse me, divert daily. Put it down for an hour a day. Withdraw weekly. Put it down for a whole day and abandon annually. Put it away for a week, and what we mean by that is, you can have your phone for like text with your friends, but no scrolling, no media, no social media, no, nothing like that. Limit screen time is a good mental health goal. Also, go into this year with a goal to learn something new, like a hobby or skill. Finally, check in regularly with a therapist or a counselor if you need it.

Speaker 1: 25:15

So, guys, this podcast has been kind of just that kind of podcast for the family. If you are feeling some kind of way after the holidays. I hope that you have found some hope and some help in this episode. I also hope that you will think about some of these mental health goals that I talked about that are on my list. But, most importantly, I want you to know that you are so known and you're so heard and loved and valued and seen, and so I don't know really what 2025 has to bring us on the podcast, with the exception of our generational trauma series. But I do believe that by this time next year, I will have earned that doctorate degree because the dissertation will be done, and so, for those of you that are along for the journey, I am so grateful. For those of you who are new, welcome. This is the wednesdays with watson, and we will be back in two weeks. You guys are seen, known, heard, loved, and that will never change.

Speaker 1: 26:35

Every moment, every way, oh, I need you, lord, and that will never change. Oh, that will never change. You're my fortress, you're my hiding place, you're the shelter where I am saved. You have freed me, you have called me by name, my Redeemer, my saving grace. Every hour of every day, oh, I need you, lord, and that will never change. Every moment, in every way, oh, I need you, lord, and that will never change. Faithful, that's who you are More than able to care for my heart. Father and friend. Live till the end. You are faithful, oh, god, oh. And faithful, that's who you are More than able To care for my heart, father and friend. There to the end, you are faithful, oh, god, god. And every hour and every day, oh, I need you Lord, and that will never change. And every moment, in every way, oh, I need you Lord, and that will never change. Oh, that will never change. Yeah, that will never change. Oh, that will never change.