5 Ways to Get Over the Holidays (Yes, 10 days later)

Christmas seems to start in October these days. All the decor is displayed in the stores as if the North Pole itself threw up by October 15th. Let’s not forget the Hallmark movies beginning the weekend before Halloween this year. I am 100% a “start celebrating on November 1st” kind of Christmas person but for all the anticipation and excitement, it always feels like it was over to soon come January 2nd. People are taking down their Christmas decorations and here I am still absorbing all the nostalgia with the few houses still lit up and my tree. It may be January 10th, but I am still not over Christmas. It’s a new year though. 2019 is full of amazing things that have yet to come and I am genuinely excited. Yet, I need a little help moving past the festive season and felt that some of you might as well. With that in mind, I wanted to share five ways to recover from the holidays. You may be surprised to find out that I’m not entirely letting go of them either. Go on, keep reading. You know you want to…

1 - Take Down Christmas but Leave Up Winter. Christmas might be over but winter technically started December 21st which was only three weeks ago. We have at least two solid months of winter to look forward to in Chicago. And considering this seems to be a weird winter...it might even go through April. Pack away all the Christmas-specific decorations. Yes, even the tree (I’m sad too). Leave up all the wintry decor. Snowmen, frosted garland, all those pretty neutral-colored decorations are 100% ok to leave up until spring. It will still feel like a winter wonderland. You’ll simply be leaving Christmas in December, where it’s meant to be.

2 - Winter Clean. I’m not sure how spring cleaning came about but it really should be winter cleaning. The holidays have a tendency to destroy our homes. My office was a disaster during the December insanity and the kitchen was certainly no better as we prepared for two back-to-back holiday gatherings. December 26th will always and forever be my official day of rest but December 27th, I clean with a vengeance. My bedroom and office got completely reorganized, dusted, vacuumed...the whole shebang. The kitchen got a nice deep clean, the refrigerator survived a purge and all was right in the world. It’s amazing what a clean space can do for mental clarity.

3 - Get Back to a Consistent Routine. This is what I was most excited to get back to since before I went on vacation. A regular routine takes a serious hit in December. Between it being the busiest time of year work-wise, it’s the busiest time of year in every other aspect of life as well. You almost enter this survival do-or-die mode where things get done or they don’t. Your sleep schedule gets out of whack, your eating habits are absolute crap. All this inconsistency can do a number on the way you feel, your energy levels, and general motivation to do anything. Over my vacation, I sat down and mapped out what my week needed to look like when I got back to it. Needless to say, I’m SO happy to be back on a routine. That one change above everything else can make you feel like a new person.

4 - Make Time to Spend with Friends & Family. One of the best things about the holidays is seeing all your friends and family. The time of year forces you to see everyone and it’s wonderful but why only see them over the holidays? It’s difficult if they live in different states but there’s no reason you can’t make a monthly girls’ night with your friends instead of talking about how you’d like to see each other more often. Call that cousin you used to be close with as kids and ask her out for a drink. Stop by Aunt Mable’s and have a cup of coffee with her. Think about who you enjoy spending time with the most over the holidays and if you don’t make an effort throughout the year...start now. There’s no time like the present to resurrect an old relationship and spend time with people you care about.

5 - Smell the Season! We can all agree that Christmas has the BEST scents. Christmas and fall, that is. Give me all the pumpkin, cinnamon and apple spice. This is the other way that I hang on to the holidays anytime I feel like it. Essential Oils are a huge part of my lifestyle. There’s always something running in the diffuser and this time of year, it’s more than likely a holiday-inspired blend. Some of my favorites are Thieves + Citrus Fresh, Cinnamon + Nutmeg + Clove, and Thieves + Peppermint. If you’re interested in learning more about Essential Oils, shoot me an email at christine@latteslifeandluggage.com!

Tell me in the comments below. Are you still not over Christmas and the holiday season or is it long behind you?