#HowTo Survive the Post Holiday Slump:

10 Tips to Cope with Life after the Holidays and January Depression

The holidays are over, so what now?! January is said to be the most depressing month of the year, which is an awful way to begin a new year and new decade. I created a list of 10 ways to help deal with the ‘slump’ we all experience after the exciting rush of the holiday season.

1. Organize your closet. This will give you a fresh start and a renewed outlook.
2. Start something new. Whether it’s taking a new class, learning a new language, or even a new hobby or job, adding something new to your life will bring a breath of fresh air and excitement. Not to mention break up the monotony.
3. Expand your comfort zone and push your limits. Scared to travel alone? Just do it. Scared to eat alone? Who cares. Don’t want to make the move? You only live once. Don’t let fear of change control you.
4. Read a book. Reading helps transport you to another world outside of your own mind.
5. Start a routine. It can be a morning routine, bedtime, skincare, anything. But having a routine helps us to maintain structure in our lives so they don’t feel so chaotic all of the time.
6. Plan a trip. Focus your mind on something positive and get excited to plan your next vacation.
7. Go to the light. This time of year is the darkest time, so try to get as much direct exposure to sunlight as possible. Even just a brief time, the little bit of sunshine will not only warm your body, but also your soul.
8. Take a spa day. Give yourself a day to just be pampered because, well, you deserve it!
9. Get physical. As we know from Legally Blonde, exercise gives you endorphins and endorphins make you happy. It may not be ideal for some, but taking just 20 to 30 minutes out of your day can make a huge difference.
10. Eliminate something that doesn’t bring you joy. This one can be a bit tricky because there are certain things no one enjoys doing that we must do anyway, like taking out the trash. So maybe try throwing something out, like the ugly fur boots you had to have years ago but never wear and they just take up room. Or a necklace from an ex. Or even that useless thing in the kitchen that you have never used and have no clue what it even does. How about on a larger scale – like Social Media. We scroll through Instagram looking at a highlight reel of people’s lives. This immediately makes us (myself included) feel badly about ourselves and compare our lives. Why not try to eliminate screen time on social media? Maybe once a day scroll through, then put it away. Try it for a week and see how it changes your mood, I dare you.