All the Gifts Are Open… So Why Do I Feel Like This?
After Christmas, when my kids were younger and all the presents had been opened, I would feel an unexpected heaviness settle into my soul. The excitement was over, the wrapping paper cleared away, and instead of relief, I felt a quiet emotional letdown. I never mentioned it to anyone. I just assumed it was something I needed to push through.
But year after year — even as my kids got older — that same feeling showed up once the holidays were over. I remember wondering, What in the world is wrong with me?
Later, I learned there was actually a name for it: “post-holiday blues”, sometimes called “holiday letdown.” And simply knowing I wasn’t alone changed everything.
Why This Happens
One reason the after-Christmas letdown can feel so heavy is because several things tend to hit all at once. After weeks of anticipation, traditions, and constant activity, your emotions can feel scattered when everything suddenly stops. Life snaps back to schedules, routines, and responsibilities almost overnight.
Maybe during the holidays you were out at parties, meeting up with friends, and surrounded by noise and connection. Then suddenly, your social calendar goes silent. Add to that the credit card bills quietly creeping into your inbox, reminding you just how much you spent trying to make everything magical.
Before I go any further, I want to say this: I’m not sharing these thoughts casually. I’ve spent extensive time in counseling myself, worked at a mental health practice for three years, and I also have the privilege of having a daughter who is a licensed mental health therapist. Through all of that, I’ve picked up a few things for my own mental health toolbox.
One of the things I’ve learned about along the way is something called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) — a form of depression that’s tied to changes in seasons, especially during the darker winter months. For some people, the post-holiday slump isn’t just emotional exhaustion; it’s also biological. And knowing that matters, because it reminds us this isn’t a personal failure — it’s something many people quietly experience.
One last piece that doesn’t get talked about enough is expectation versus reality. Sometimes Christmas doesn’t turn out the way we hoped. Unmet expectations, strained relationships, or moments that didn’t feel as joyful as we imagined can leave a lingering disappointment long after the decorations come down.
Symptoms I Experienced (Maybe You Can Relate)
Here are some of the things I used to experience — maybe you’ll recognize a few:
Feeling down or sad
Lack of motivation
Irritability (kudos to those around me who survived it)
Feeling emotionally drained
Trouble focusing on tasks that need to be done
An overwhelming sense of “What now?”
Like you, I wondered if something was wrong with me. The short answer is no — in my very non-professional opinion. It’s like hyping yourself up on 20 cups of caffeine and then crashing hard when the high wears off. Your body and emotions are simply coming down from a season of intensity.
What Helped Me Cope
Some of the simple things I learned to do to cope with the holiday blues include:
Keeping the Christmas lights up a little longer
Working on a vision board or planning something to look forward to
Opening the curtains and letting natural light fill the room
Taking calming walks or doing gentle workouts
And most importantly, not being ashamed to call it what it is —
“The Holiday Blues.”
Naming it helped remove the guilt and the confusion.
I do recommend that if your sadness lasts more than a few weeks, worsens, or starts interfering with your daily life, it’s worth checking in with a healthcare provider or counselor. And yes — y’all know I’m going to recommend my daughter! Why? Full disclosure. Cos’ I’m biased. Shout-out to Candice 🤍
Mama Wisdom Reflection
So baby, if you’re feeling off, you’re not broken or ungrateful. December is an emotional sprint fueled by noise, sugar, and high expectations. When it ends, the crash is real.
The gifts are opened, the decorations come down, and life suddenly expects you to function like nothing happened. That “now what?” feeling doesn’t mean you missed the magic — it just means you’re human.
So leave the lights up a little longer, move slower if you need to, and give yourself some grace.
January doesn’t need your best — it just needs you upright and caffeinated.
If this resonated with you, take a moment to pause and breathe. Share this with a friend who might be feeling the same quiet heaviness, or leave a comment on Instagram or Facebook and let me know — you’re not alone in this season. Have you ever felt the holiday letdown once the celebrations were over?
