27 December 2007
post-christmas let-down
The build-up to Christmas is more than over-hyped; there's no way anyone can wake up on December 26th and not feel some sense of disappointment. Maybe you didn't get exactly the gift you wanted or the recipient of one of your gifts wasn't as pleased as you'd hoped. Maybe you burned the cookies or the turkey wasn't as good as you remembered. Maybe you felt slighted. Maybe ... a million little things that can take the sparkle out of the holiday.
It's not enough that you expected to be let down in some way, but the let-down has far exceeded your expectations of disappointment.
What do you do now? How do you start to claw your way out of the post-holiday pit?
One step at a time. One moment at a time. For me, there's always some struggle. I try to be happy with what the holiday was. I consciously look for the high points, no matter how small they may have been. The look of surprise on a child's face. A belly laugh. A taste that warmed my soul, even if only for a few seconds.
In other word: focus on the positive. This isn't easy. When you're depressed or dysthymic you tend to see the negative in stark relief against the backdrop of every day. So you need to work at pushing those negatives away and replacing them with something positive.
Then do something nice for yourself. If you don't feel like anyone else treated you well on Christmas, treat yourself well. Make the flavored coffee you like or have a cup of hot cocoa. Take a bath or a long warm shower. Read some poems you like. Watch a movie you enjoy. Listen to music that makes you feel good.
Don't deny your disappointment. Face it, accept it and let yourself be sad for a little while. Get it out of your system. Holding onto sadness and trying to stuff it back down inside you will only make it worse. I find that writing about my difficult feelings helps me to process them and put them outside myself, where they can't harm me. Have a good cry. Have a nap. Then start rebuilding.
Talk to someone. Seek out a friend. It's likely that everyone you know is feeling a little let down after the holidays, so reach out. If you can't get out and have lunch or coffee or something, try talking on the phone. Whatever effort it takes to do this will be worth it. Have faith.
Eat well. If you ate poorly over the last few days, try eating something that's healthful. Caring for your body helps improve your mind and mood.
I hope these suggestions help even a little bit. This morning I got onto the treadmill and listened to some good music. I imagined that all the disappointment was sweating out through my pores. Now I feel better.
Feel better, too.
--Mary
It's not enough that you expected to be let down in some way, but the let-down has far exceeded your expectations of disappointment.
What do you do now? How do you start to claw your way out of the post-holiday pit?
One step at a time. One moment at a time. For me, there's always some struggle. I try to be happy with what the holiday was. I consciously look for the high points, no matter how small they may have been. The look of surprise on a child's face. A belly laugh. A taste that warmed my soul, even if only for a few seconds.
In other word: focus on the positive. This isn't easy. When you're depressed or dysthymic you tend to see the negative in stark relief against the backdrop of every day. So you need to work at pushing those negatives away and replacing them with something positive.
Then do something nice for yourself. If you don't feel like anyone else treated you well on Christmas, treat yourself well. Make the flavored coffee you like or have a cup of hot cocoa. Take a bath or a long warm shower. Read some poems you like. Watch a movie you enjoy. Listen to music that makes you feel good.
Don't deny your disappointment. Face it, accept it and let yourself be sad for a little while. Get it out of your system. Holding onto sadness and trying to stuff it back down inside you will only make it worse. I find that writing about my difficult feelings helps me to process them and put them outside myself, where they can't harm me. Have a good cry. Have a nap. Then start rebuilding.
Talk to someone. Seek out a friend. It's likely that everyone you know is feeling a little let down after the holidays, so reach out. If you can't get out and have lunch or coffee or something, try talking on the phone. Whatever effort it takes to do this will be worth it. Have faith.
Eat well. If you ate poorly over the last few days, try eating something that's healthful. Caring for your body helps improve your mind and mood.
I hope these suggestions help even a little bit. This morning I got onto the treadmill and listened to some good music. I imagined that all the disappointment was sweating out through my pores. Now I feel better.
Feel better, too.
--Mary
Labels: depression, disappointment, dysthymia, post-holiday let-letdown, sadness
