The Post-Holiday Hangover
- WellFit by Jennie
- 7 hours ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 14 minutes ago
WellFit by Jennie services include Personal Training, Health Coaching and Education, Fitness Assessments. Available in-person in Marquette, Negaunee, Ishpeming, Gwinn, Marquette County, MI or online nationally.
Ah, the holidays. A time of year that is supposed to be magical. This season is typically characterized by shopping, decorating, eating, drinking, traveling, gathering, dressing up, listening to music, being with family, and making merry that starts in November with Thanksgiving (or October for Halloween, especially for young families) and runs through New Year's Day.
Popular culture with all of its hype and advertising can make us feel obligated to engage in celebratory behaviors even if we haven’t the bandwidth. This often involves the expenditure of time, energy, and money that may or may not be available. All of this is also superimposed upon our regular responsibilities like doing a job and running the household.
Even if you do derive enjoyment from all of the holiday traditions and purchasing gifts for others, the holidays can be downright exhausting. If you happen to be introverted or highly sensitive, this is even more true. In fact, it should come as no surprise that World Introvert Day is January 2nd.
I recall my son’s first or second Christmas. His birthday is December 28th, and thus he had dozens of gifts under the tree from family and friends for birthday and Christmas – as a baby. The poor kid fell asleep after opening the first round of gifts. He was quickly overstimulated and in need of a break to rest. Granted, this was a dilemma borne of privilege, but clearly demonstrates the aforementioned holiday phenomenon.
For many people, the holidays can bring about sadness, loneliness and grief for losses that may have happened during the year. Grief may be triggered as reminders of tangible or intangible losses abound. The absence of beloved people or pets is felt more deeply. Yet we are expected to “put on a happy face” or “be grateful”, and are asked well-meaning questions like “What are you doing for the holidays?” and “How were your holidays?” The energy spent pretending can leave us emotionally drained. I address this in my post Genuine Gratitude vs. Toxic Positivity.
I have observed that, from my own and others’ experience, January can leave us with a hangover not unlike a hangover from drinking too much alcohol. The whirlwind of the holidays can leave us stunned and dazed, dreading the looming credit card bills, needing to resort to wearing our loosest-fitting clothes, and craving downtime. (For introverts, downtime, especially spent in solitude, is an absolute must!) The household may be messy from decorations, company, travel, and/or newly acquired possessions.
We can often find ourselves in circadian chaos associated with holiday-related travel, changes in our eating, staying up too late and sleeping in.
The following are a few simple ideas that can help guide us or return us to better health.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
A psychologist by the name of Abraham Maslow published a theory in the 1940’s to identify a hierarchy of human needs. The idea is that our foundational needs begin with the requirements for physiological survival: food, water, shelter, air/breathing, temperature regulation, elimination, homeostasis, etc. If these needs are met, then we can attend to higher-order needs such as financial security, safety, and health & wellness.
If our basic needs go unmet, then our ability to pursue things higher up on the pyramid such as self-esteem and self-actualization, perhaps through creative expression, for example, are compromised. And forget about those New Year’s resolutions!
My suggestion is to make sure you are attending to your most basic physiological needs as you start the new year. The resulting homeostasis will calm your nervous system, putting you into a healing state in which your body feels safe. You can then work your way up the pyramid as you start feeling better and better.
It doesn’t have to be complicated! Ask yourself questions like: How am I feeling in this moment? Am I hungry, thirsty, hot or cold? Respond to your needs as you would if parenting a small child. Your body is counting on you!
Circadian Rhythm
As mammals, we are governed by circadian biology. Rhythm and routine are so important to our physical and mental health! For example, our wake time and having light exposure early in our day is arguably the most powerful way to set the body’s clock. Scheduling regular mealtimes supports your digestion, energy, and health.
Nothing is more soothing to the body than to know what needs will be met, and when. Try to schedule yourself if possible in an oscillating fashion to align yourself with your body’s natural rhythms that alternate periods of productivity & engagement with relative rest & relaxation. At the end of the day, practice a good wind-down, preferably away from electronics for the last 30 minutes to 2 hours before bedtime.
Taking steps like these will help to remedy the imbalances incurred during the holidays by regulating your system. See my post Daylight Saving Time & Circadian Rhythm for more in-depth coverage of this topic.
Mind Your Habits
Lastly, none of this will be possible unless you are mindful of your health habits. We have our basic needs and the necessity of timing the fulfillment of these needs properly. Good habits are the daily actions done over time that help to actualize the meeting of your basic needs and reinforce your circadian rhythms.
There is a tendency in our culture to set lofty New Year’s resolutions that are at risk of falling off after January or February. For example, the busiest day of the year for gyms is typically the last Monday in January. If you are a gym-goer, you likely have seen the drop-off in attendance after February or March.
While sudden breakthroughs are great and all we hear about, in reality, it's our small, consistent actions that make all the difference. - Samuel Olaniyan
What is the most meaningful change you are seeking for your own health? Let your answer to this question inform your decision as to what habit you will begin to implement. Decide upon a small action you can try to accomplish on a regular basis. Refrain from taking on too much at once or setting a goal that requires so much self-discipline that it is unsustainable in your real life.
A few habits I have managed to form recently have been resuming playing the piano and practicing French. (These pale in comparison to my son, who is bilingual, has a 2000+ day Spanish Duolingo streak, and plays challenging violin pieces on his own and as part of his college’s orchestra; but it is all relative!)
There are countless examples and iterations of good habits to pursue and strategies for putting them in place. They can and should initially be broken down into very realistic, attainable parts. The more specific, the better. Start where you actually are and determine what represents that next level of challenge for you.
A few ideas might include:
· For a goal of improving your sleep, try allowing at least 2 hours between dinner and bedtime, or wake up at the same time every day.
· If you desire greater energy and reduced food cravings, eat a nutritious breakfast within an hour or two of waking. Even something small like a Greek yogurt, banana with peanut butter, or a hard-boiled egg is a great start!
· If you need to improve your posture, do a simple posture exercise soon after waking such as a standing back extension or standing for 30 seconds with your back against a wall with head, shoulders, and low back touching the wall.
· To improve your focus & productivity and reduce fatigue, set phone alarms throughout your day to remind you to take mini-breaks and STOP working on time. Even taking 1 or 2 small breaks is a great start!
· To address diabetes, figure out how you can incorporate a few movement breaks into your day. Can you take a short walk outside (or possibly indoors if you live in the U.P. and do not like the cold, snow, and ice)? Can you do some kitchen sink pushups and squats as you prepare dinner?
· For stress reduction, try taking short “breathing” breaks in which you lengthen your exhalations. Or start a fun class with a friend.
Avoid doing all of these at once. You can build on the habit once you have established some consistency and momentum. Sprinkling in some fun, sociability, and rewards may help you to follow through consistently.
Importantly, WHY do you want to instill this habit? This may be a good topic to address with a health coach, personal trainer, doctor, or therapist. See my post Mental Preparation for Habit Change for more information.
Please keep in mind that you are worth the effort. Have some compassion for yourself and be your own supportive coach! Ditch any judgment or perfectionism. The immediate outcome is far less important than consistent efforts you make to put yourself on a good trajectory.
Into the New Year
I am confident that you can find a reasonable, sane way to pursue balance whether or not you have been sidetracked by the holiday season. I wish for you patience, wisdom, and endurance with your habits this year.
