How to Avoid Post Holiday Blues

The decorations are down, the guests have gone home, and like a record scratch, the most wonderful time of the year has abruptly come to an end. If you're feeling a sudden dip in your mood, you're not alone—and there are actionable, evidence-based ways to reset.

For many, the holiday season is a whirlwind of dopamine: gifts, rich food, social connection, and a break from the daily grind. But when the festivities end, the silence that follows can feel heavy. Many people refer to this experience as the post-holiday blues.

After adapting to the high stimulation of the holidays, your normal, healthy routine feels dull by comparison. The sudden switch can leave you feeling depleted.

Plus, with the New Year, there’s a looming pressure to set and pursue new goals. After a month of high-volume decision-making—gifts, travel, scheduling, baking, cooking—the cognitive load of planning a 'new life' for January can feel paralyzed rather than inspiring, adding to the sense of mental exhaustion.

The good news? You don't have to wait for the fog to lift on its own. By combining mental health best practices with the behavioral science of habit formation, you can turn that back-to-reality dread into a fresh start.

Regulate your physiology with the 2-Minute Rule

If you're like most people, you may have exercised a little less and indulged a little more over the break. It's easy to fall into a trap of guilt, viewing exercise as a punishment for holiday eating. However, this mindset often leads to resistance and burnout.

When you're feeling low, the idea of a 45-minute workout can feel impossible. This is where the 2-Minute Rule, popularized by Atomic Habits author James Clear, can become a powerful tool for beating the post-holiday blues. The goal is to strip away the pressure to perform and focus entirely on showing up.

• How we usually create habits: "Go to the gym more often"
• The atomic way: "I will put on my running shoes and step outside."

Once you start doing the thing–whatever it is—it's much easier to continue doing it. A 2-minute walk often naturally turns into a 20-minute walk. 

Reduce re-entry anxiety with habit stacking

Returning to work or school often triggers re-entry anxiety. This usually stems from the loss of structure. During the holidays, days are fluid, whereas during the work week, they are rigid. This clash causes friction and decision fatigue.

To rebuild your routine without the stress, use habit stacking. This involves identifying a current habit you already do each day and then stacking your new, mood-supporting behavior on top of it.

The formula: "After I [current habit], I will [new habit]."

• For mindfulness: After I pour my morning coffee, I will take three deep breaths.
• For organization: After I take off my work shoes, I will immediately hang up my coat.
• For sleep hygiene: After I brush my teeth, I will plug my phone in outside the bedroom.

By automating these small behaviors, you reduce the cognitive load on your brain, leaving you with more energy to handle emotional regulation.

Design your environment to lower cognitive load

If your home is still cluttered with holiday debris or your workspace is chaotic, your mind will often reflect that chaos.

When you're recovering from the holiday slump, don't rely on willpower to get back to work, rely on environment design.

Optimize your space for mental peace

• Make it obvious: If you want to drink more water (which improves cognitive function), place a full water bottle on your desk the night before.
• Make it easy: If you want to journal to process your emotions, leave the journal open with a pen on your pillow.
• Make it invisible: If social media is making you feel bad about your "boring" January compared to everyone's holiday highlight reels, delete the apps.

Let’s borrow a concept from the restaurant industry. Spend the last 10 minutes of your evening doing "closing duties"—resetting your space for the next day. As you tidy up, visualize yourself "tidying" your mind, putting away the worries of today so you can rest.

Focus on systems, not resolutions

The New Year is famous for resolutions that fail by February. This is usually because we focus on outcome goals (what we get) rather than identity goals (who we are).

When you set a resolution like "I want to lose 10 pounds," you're fighting against your current self-image. To beat the post-holiday blues, shift your focus to proving to yourself that you're a healthy person through small wins.

You don’t have to focus on changing everything all at once. Instead, focus on getting 1% better each day and shifting your identity to become the kind of person you want to be.

• Outcome goal: "I will read 20 books this year."
• Identity goal: "I am a reader." (Action: Read one page per day).

When you cast a vote for the person you want to be—even with a tiny action—you boost your serotonin levels by achieving a win, which counteracts the feelings of failure often associated with the post-holiday blues.

If you miss a day, don't spiral. Missing one workout doesn't make you lazy, just like eating one salad doesn't make you fit. Be kind to yourself. A slip is just a slip, not a permanent fall. Follow the never miss twice rule—which is exactly what it sounds like—to keep yourself on track.

Reframe financial stress as financial self-care

A financial hangover is a major trigger for January gloom. When we avoid looking at our bank accounts because we are afraid of what we'll see, we create a cycle of avoidance and anxiety. Viewing your finances through a lens of self-care can help. 

Every time you skip a purchase to save money, move that specific amount into a savings account named something positive, like Peace of Mind Fund or Summer Adventure. Seeing that number go up gives you an immediate dopamine hit, replacing the dopamine you would have gotten from spending.

For the next 30 days, try a pause practice. Before making a non-essential purchase, take three deep breaths. Ask yourself: "Am I buying this because I need it, or because I'm trying to extend the holiday dopamine hit?"

Prioritize your circadian rhythm to get better sleep

One of the primary biological causes of post-holiday blues is social jetlag. Late nights, alcohol, and sleeping in during the break disrupt your circadian rhythm, which regulates your mood and energy.

To fix this, you don't just need more sleep—you need consistent, high-quality sleep.

Your circadian rhythm is regulated by light. To reset your internal clock:

• Morning: Get 10–20 minutes of direct sunlight within an hour of waking up. This signals your body to produce cortisol (for energy) now and melatonin (for sleep) 12 hours later.
• Evening: Dim the lights in your home two hours before bed. Bright overhead lights suppress melatonin production, making it harder to fall asleep and lower anxiety levels.

Frequently asked questions about the post-holiday blues

How long do the post-holiday blues usually last?

For most people, the post-holiday blues are temporary, lasting anywhere from a few days to two weeks. It typically lifts as you settle back into your sleep and work routines. If you utilize the 2-Minute Rule to jumpstart your routine, you may find the fog lifting even faster.

Are post-holiday blues the same as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?

Not exactly. The "blues" are situational—triggered by the end of the holidays and the disruption of routine. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a clinical form of depression related to changes in seasons, specifically the lack of sunlight. Post-holiday blues improve as you get back to your routine. SAD persists regardless of your routine and often requires light therapy or professional support.

Why do I feel so tired even if I slept in during the holidays?

Holiday sleep is often less restorative due to alcohol intake, rich foods, and irregular hours. This creates social jetlag, disrupting your circadian rhythm. It may take a week of consistent wake-up times and morning sunlight exposure to fully reset your internal clock.

What should I do if the post-holiday blues don't go away?

If your feelings of sadness persist for more than two weeks, impact your ability to function (work, hygiene, relationships), or include feelings of hopelessness, it's important to speak with a mental health professional. It's an act of strength, not weakness, to ask for support.