5 Tips to Overcoming Post-Holiday Blues

Ever wondered how Thanksgiving became a national holiday or how many calls turkey companies such as Butterball receive this time of year? Join me, Holly Curby, on a festive episode of Holly's Highlight as we unravel the fascinating trivia surrounding Thanksgiving. We’ll giggle at the story of how an accidental turkey overstock birthed TV dinners, gasp at the initial Thanksgiving menu, and learn a common misconception of how turkeys gobble gobble.

But, this episode is not just about festive cheer. It's also about understanding the often unspoken reality of post-event blues. You know, that melancholy feeling that settles in after the high of a major event or project. I'll share valuable insights into the biological and psychological reasons behind them. We'll talk practical strategies to combat these blues, emphasizing the importance of rest and a balanced social calendar. It's a journey that traverses the joys of celebration to the depths of introspection, equipping you with tools to navigate the emotional rollercoaster of the holiday season.

Episode Sponsor:
Make a positive impact this Giving Tuesday by purchasing a copy of Face-Lift: embracing hope through your heartaches, available through your local book stores and online retailers such as Amazon, Target, Walmart, and Barnes & Noble. Face-Lift is a perfect gift for everyone on your Christmas list.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

Hi friends, welcome to Holly's Highlight, a podcast designed to encourage, inspire and equip you to intentionally live your life full of purpose. I'm your host, holly Kirby, motivational speaker, leadership cultivator, marketing strategist and personal cheerleader. Let's check out today's highlight. Today is Giving Tuesday and in the spirit of making an impact in your community, all while shopping for those on your Christmas gift list, might I recommend purchasing my book Facelift Embracing Hope Through your Heartaches. A portion of all proceeds is donated to Huntsman Cancer Institute Foundation in the fight against cancer. You can purchase Facelift to give as a gift to neighbors, friends, family, your ladies group, co-workers or even teachers' gifts through your local bookstore or online retailers such as Amazon, target, walmart and Barnes Noble. It's a two for one making a positive impact supporting cancer research, all while providing a good read of encouragement, inspiration and hope to someone on your gift list this Christmas. Purchase your copy of Facelift today. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I hope you had a wonderful and restful weekend.

Speaker 1: 1:13

We all have our own traditions when it comes to Thanksgiving, but there are a few fun facts about Thanksgiving which might surprise you. 1. According to House Beautiful Sarah Joseph-A-Hale, the woman who wrote Mary had a Little Lamb. She was nicknamed Mother of Thanksgiving as it was a result of her letters to President Lincoln that finally led the president to declare Thanksgiving a national holiday. Her intent for the holiday was to provide healing to the nation from the devastation of the Civil War. 2. Speaking of songs, house Beautiful also shares that Jingle Bells was originally a Thanksgiving day song and it was titled One Horse Open Slay, but after its growing popularity around December 25th the title was then changed in 1859 to Jingle Bells. 3. World Strides reports that Butterball, the famous Butterball turkey, answers more than 100,000 turkey cooking questions through their hotline each November and December. 4. They also revealed that the first Thanksgiving didn't even have turkey on the menu. Research actually shows that it was most likely venison, duck, goose, oysters, lobster, eel and even fish that were served.

Speaker 1: 2:30

5. Babyquipcom tells of Thanksgiving being the reason we have TV dinners. As in 1953, it was a Swanson employee who accidentally ordered too much turkey. From what I mean too much turkey, 260 tons too much turkey. So the company had it all in 10 refrigerated train cars and of course that was taking up too much room and not a long term solution. So a company salesman suggested preparing the turkey and pairing it with sides in a compartmentalized aluminum tray. Now, swanson Company sold 5,000 TV dinners that year and the following year 10 million. And, like all things, that have increased in price, any guesses as to the cost of the first TV dinner? That's right, a whopping 98 cents. My how times have changed.

Speaker 1: 3:25

And number 6, town and Country, reminds us of the differences of male and female. As they simply point out, female turkeys don't gobble, they cackle. Well, our family just has one tradition on Thanksgiving anymore, and that is just to be together. Now, my sister and her family, my brother and his, my dad and me and my kids, we will gather at a house or in a restaurant in town or out of town, wherever it might be. We just like being together and for that I give thanks.

Speaker 1: 4:00

Now, perhaps you've just finished up a Thanksgiving event and find yourself feeling completely stuffed but also a little down. In fact, as you look over events throughout your year you know vacations, work, events or projects, family gatherings, weddings, celebrations you might begin to see a consistency of that feeling of the after high. Now don't be alarmed, that is more frequent than you might think. So you're not alone. And it's often referred to as post-event or post-fun blues. Now, according to theblurdercom, those who seem to deal with such blues tend to be those in the occupations of event planners, professional athletes, actors and even musicians. They also attribute these blues to both biological and psychological effects. Biologically, they report that when you step away from a stressful environment that you've been a part of for a long period of time, you tend to have a chance of that abrupt withdrawal of stress hormones. And this is because a routine drastically changes. That would be for those who have worked on a project for a long time and then it's suddenly done. Well, psychologically speaking, these blues are a bit of a mental battle, not knowing what to do once the event has ended. But either way, these post-event blues aren't permanent, but rather something you can prepare for Now, with the season of events before us Christmas parties, candlelight services, concerts and performances, holiday vacations and travel, more family gatherings, christmas itself to even New Year celebrations I thought perhaps we'd take a look at how to combat these post-event blues and efforts to prevent them or at least make their time shortened.

Speaker 1: 5:47

Number one rest and unwind. I was a youth director for ten years and during this time we'd spent a lot of time together and even go on a lot of outings or trips together Ski trips in Palma Real, idaho amusement park, trips to Lagoon and in Utah. Youth camp experiences in Glorieta, new Mexico. Camping trips at Tempanoga's Cave in Utah, mission trips to Oregon, you name it. We did a lot of trips. We get together for ice skating, for baking cookies for a bake cell, or simply to take to senior citizens or shut-ins from our church. We'd serve at the local food pantry or go attend one of the fellow teens horse competitions or plays or basketball games.

Speaker 1: 6:25

Now I come home exhausted from not just go-go going but ensuring everyone's safety, getting along, feeling like they belonged to them, that they were involved, keeping the schedules, overseeing logistics, coming up with lessons plans, being available for each teen to chat as they desired or just needed me to be Now. I absolutely loved it, but I knew that when I got home I would need that evening to relax and unwind, for there to be complete quiet in the home, so that my brain could rest and I could physically sit and just watch a movie or just do something like that to unwind Now, for some post-events are caused for such a long time. So plan for it, whether it be just everyone, or treating to their rooms or needing to take a day off, and for others it's a good workout at the gym or pampering at the spa, organizing clutter. This is totally me every new year. Maybe it's tapping into your creative side of painting or sculpting or dancing, or even having a good cry. I have to laugh at myself, but every time I speak at a retreat, this is what I need. I need a good post-event cry. Well, whatever you need to do to fight those post-event blues, plan for your time to relax and unwind. Number two social engagement or a social calendar. So friends, family, whatever fills your cup.

Speaker 1: 7:45

I have always loved theater and when I was in middle school I did short story competitions. I would practice forever and then compete at competition after competition. Then in high school, I was often lead in musicals and plays which required many weeks and long hours each day rehearsing and preparing for a several day performance lineup. Now, post high school, I taught drama for 10 years in the community and we'd have annual dinner theaters where I'd not only oversee casting and staging and run-throughs but also ticket sales and program designs and prop and set designs and meal planning and filming arrangements, and the list goes on and on. You name it. Well, all of this led to a complete fulfillment and a high at each performance night. There's nothing like that feeling of being on stage, but the day after the final performance in cast party I would feel such an emptiness like a void. I missed the excitement leading up to the performances. I missed being around everyone.

Speaker 1: 8:45

Often in our post fun blues, we simply need to keep our social calendar filled Now, not to the point of burnout or not getting the rest our bodies need from such projects, but at dinner with friends, shopping outing with your mom or your sister, or even a phone call with your bestie. So whatever brings a smile to your face, and whomever that is with, add a thing or two to your social calendar. Number three plan new events. So have something to look forward to Now. Our family has traveled together for the past 10 years at least. We've done road trips to Durango, colorado, to ride the train to Silverton or to St George to watch a play at Two-Com Theater. We've gone on cruises together where we've climbed the Duns River waterfalls in Jamaica and shopped around St Thomas and relaxed by the ocean in St Martin. We've goofed around in Disney World and we well watched in Alaska, parasailed and cliff jumped and surfed in Hawaii. We absolutely love being all together. Our family heard We've had so much fun and spent so much intentional time together that once I've gotten home I miss them. Fillings of loneliness have set in and discouragement where I long to be in their presence again, and almost fear of being left out or missing out. I've learned to combat that with simply planning something to look forward to it may be the next birthday celebration holiday, as to where it's going to be held and who's bringing what, or even to throw ideas for our next vacation the following year together, but planning those new events, that next thing, so that you have something to look forward to.

Speaker 1: 10:24

Number four document or share your moments Now. As you may know, I wrote a book called Facelift Embracing Hope Through your Heartaches, and the whole book was based off my social media and how people found my posts inspiring, encouraging and even helped equip them at being intentional in their own lives and efforts of living a purposeful life. But did you know that was not the original intent of my posts? Nope, they were actually just for me, a scrapbook of sorts which I could look back on and see God's goodness of fun times, memories made, blessings given. Now, posting your life on social media may not be your thing. Maybe it's keeping a journal or actually scrapbooking my mom and sister and I used to do that and I gotta admit I'm at least a decade behind or so or maybe it's even a memorabilia box, or it could be a phone call or a letter sent to a loved one. Whatever it is, however it's done, documenting or sharing your moments just might help avoid the letdown, or at least less than the time, of those post-event blues. And then, number five Simply count your blessings.

Speaker 1: 11:34

Yes, post-event or post-fun blues can feel depressing. They can even lead to mood swings and negativity. But, as HAPPIFYcom reveals, people who regularly practice gratitude experience a lot of life-boosting changes. They're happier, they're less depressed, they're less stressed and they're more satisfied with their relationships. As 2nd Corinthians 10-5 instructs us, we are to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ. So in these times of post-event or post-fun blues, we can follow Philippians 4-8, knowing that whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things so, as you reflect on what was a trip, a project, a season of life, count your blessings and literally name them one by one.

Speaker 1: 12:32

If you know of someone who deals with such blues, consider reaching out to them following an event you know they have coming up, invite them for a cup of coffee, or call them up on the phone and ask how the event went. Give them a gift certificate to go get a pedicure or a massage, like their posts on their social media, or even say a prayer for encouragement for them as they face that aftermath of the next day. Now, of course, all of these opinions, ideas and advice are simply my own and ways that have helped me when filling these post-fun blues. Feel free to confirm such with a qualified professional, such as a psychologist, a counselor or a therapist. If you find that your post-event blues are lasting longer or you find yourself going into a deeper depression, please consider reaching out to a professional, as sometimes how we're feeling can actually be a part of a bigger need. As Healthline encourages, getting help for depression isn't a sign of weakness. It's good self-care.

Speaker 1: 13:28

Now, if you'd like help moving forward and planning your future goals, I'd be honored to work alongside you as a leadership or personal coach. Simply connect with me at hollycurbycom. That's H-O-L-L-Y-C-U-R-B-Y dot com and click on work with me. As Dr Sue said, don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened. Thank you for joining me on this journey of life. I hope that today's highlight has been encouraging, inspiring and equipping so you can go out and live your life full of purpose. I'd be honored if you'd take a moment to leave a review or, better yet, subscribe. We can also stay in touch by joining my email list at hollycurbycom, that's H-O-L-L-Y-C-U-R-B-Y dot com. Until next time, make it a great day for a great day.