Tips on how to get over the holidays blues from someone who doesn’t know how to get get over the holiday blues.

If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you’ll have noticed a distinct lack of post this month. That wasn’t intentional. I’ve tried writing several times, with every intention of posting more of my favorite Christmas recipes and reviewing potential Christmas gift ideas. I just couldn’t. Not only could I not blog, I also couldn’t decorate or bake or even watch Christmas movies. Instead, I slept and worked. And slept some more. I’d say I normally average seven hours a night, whereas this month I slept an average of fifteen. And when I wasn’t actually asleep, I was usually in bed with terrible back pain, feeling terrible about feeling terrible.

Sometimes, these things happen. It’s unfortunate whenever we are unable to function fully, and it feels downright catastrophic when it coincides with the holidays. Things just can’t get done when you’re depressed or sick. We’ve all heard the tips for beating the blues: exercise, meditation, calling a friend. But what if you’re too sick to exercise, or too down to be bothered to find a friend to whom to vent? Sometimes, it’s not so easy to make yourself feel better.

And that’s OK. It’s OK to be imperfect. It’s OK to sometimes not live up to your own or others’ expectations. It’s OK to sit this one out or muddle through somehow. I’m lucky enough to have a living situation where I can rely on others to pull through on the majority of this Christmas readying. If I didn’t, it would still be OK to not get it done this year. My health, both physical and mental, is more important than Christmas cookies or decorations.

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I want you to have a good day. Relax. Take care of yourself. Be happy doing or feeling whatever it is that you’re experiencing right now. Appreciate your life and your circumstances, however bleak they may seem. Next year, all our troubles will be miles away.