GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — Now that the holidays are over, many people are headed back into the office this week. If you’re feeling a little down about it, you aren’t the only one.
After the holidays many people have spent time with family and friends, traveled and now may even feel a little sick. All of these things can make you feel rundown heading into the New Year.
“A lot of times we bottle things up or withdraw into ourselves during the holidays,” said Dr. Ashley Britton, a licensed psychologist for ECU Health. “People will say they don’t wanna burden other people, but this is the most important time when you are feeling this way to reach out.”
Britton said there are some ways to take care of yourself when you feel this way.
“My first one is always going to be, be kind to yourself,” she said. “Putting your own mental and physical well-being first. Another tip I like to give is reflecting on your gratitude and offering thanks. We know from lots of research that giving thanks and counting your blessings has been shown to improve sleep, reduce stress, help our interpersonal relationships.”
She said you can also set realistic goals for yourself.
“You want to prioritize your time and focus on a schedule, but being realistic and gentle,” Britton added. “Understanding that it’s okay if you can’t get everything done.”
Getting outside could even help with some of these feelings.
“Even if it’s just going out for a walk or being in a green space can improve sleep, reduce stress, increase happiness and decrease negative emotions,” she said.
Even if you take care of yourself, you could still feel overwhelmed going into the new year. Britton said that’s when it’s time to reach out for help.
“That threshold is going to be whatever is affecting your day-to-day functioning,” she said. “It could be all of a sudden you’re having really bad sleep all the time and you can’t focus or you’re worn down. You could also find your relationships are really suffering or your work or school academics are suffering.”
If you get to this point, a good place to start could be with your primary care doctor.
“Even if they maybe can’t identify the feeling, psychologically or emotionally, but they can say I’ve been feeling physically like this,” Britton said.
Britton said several clinics in the ECU Health System can help as well as the Student Health Center at East Carolina University. You can also visit this link to find more resources near you.
