Five ways to fight the post-Christmas blues.

Five ways to fight the post-Christmas blues.December 27th, 2012 1 comment

I’m a certifiable Christmas freak.

For a solid month or more, I drink in lights, sounds, smells, tastes and traditions. If I had a thousand Decembers I would dance through them gladly; if I had a million iPods they’d all be playing O Holy Night; if I had a Trump-sized budget you’d probably be able to see my tree from space. Christmas is my jam.

If you’re like me (and on so many days you shouldn’t be), the end of Christmas Day celebrations can have you falling off an emotional ledge that rivals the fiscal cliff.

But this year has been better, because back in the beginning of the season I purposed some things in my heart that would help me with the end of it. Here are five things that have helped my post-Christmas crash become more of a gentle slide:

1. TAPER THINGS OFF.

Just because the calendar says December 26^th, it doesn’t mean the fun has to end just yet. There are still decorations to be seen, friends to enjoy, and — much to the dismay of my eldest son — Christmas carols to be played. Tonight, I take my mom to see the holiday lights of Magic Kingdom’s Main Street for her first time in 20 years; this weekend, we’ll drive around and look at a few sparkling neighborhoods before they go back to sleep in the new year. Plan some little things this weekend that carry on your Christmas joy.

2. COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS.

I mean really count them. Write them down if you have to, naming everything from Sunday afternoon naps to Chinese dumplings (just two of my faves). Sometimes, I feel pressure to suck an abundance of joy out of holidays because I overlook the thousands of gracious gifts God gives me on normal days. Gratitude makes everyday feel like Christmas.

3. KEEP THE GIVING GOING.

A huge part of the joy of Christmas is generosity, and that never has to stop. And gifts don’t have to be expensive — in fact, they don’t really even have to be things. I started a tradition a few years back of encouraging someone every day during the month of December and writing longer notes of gratitude to a few people on Christmas night. It’s changed my experience of the season, and this year I’m taking the habit into January. You could make another list of people to surprise throughout the year, maybe a different friend each month. Or just occasionally jot a note, bake some cookies, leave a Starbucks card on someone’s windshield. Make someone’s morning a Christmas morning the whole year through, and your Christmas spirit will last, too.

4. LOOK AHEAD.

You know one of the biggest lessons life has taught me? I’ll keep looking back if I don’t have a reason to look forward. We’ve got a whole 2013 headed our way with new possibilities and promises. I always take an entire day at the end of each year to imagine what the next one might hold for me. I use the time to dream, pray and make goals and plans to make it happen. God wants to do something through us both in the coming year, I promise. Listen and watch for it.

5. MEDITATE ON HEAVEN.

I don’t know what you imagine eternity to be like, but my Bible mentions a lot of gold, lights, crystal, joy, songs and feasting, and that sounds a lot like the holidays to me. Use your post-Christmas blues to point you to eternity. Remind your heart that no day will ever satisfy like That Day — and That Day will never end. For heaven is our destiny and our reward, an evergreen celebration of new life and new birth — one endless, timeless, joyous Christmastime with no after to be had.