The Lull of Post Thanksgiving

Tis the sleepiest time of year.

The weekend and week following Thanksgiving have always been a bit tough for me. Its particularly hard to jump back to normal life. The “comeback” from vacation is always a ridiculous feat, which makes one ponder if they need a vacation from their vacation (yes).

After arriving home from traveling on Saturday evening, I was in a rush to get back to a semi-normal routine on Sunday full of workouts, farmers markets, and unpacking/cleaning. I also was craving some alone downtime to decompress and relax my mind from so much socializing during Thanksgiving. As an introvert - social holidays in general offer a tough comedown, I often find myself in such an exhausted daze for days following.

After a normal day back to semi-reality on Sunday, I thought I’d be bright-eyed and bushy tailed for work on Monday, but so wrong I was. I found myself falling asleep at my desk all through the first few days this week. I had rushed my re-entry into normal life, and forgotten that this takes a bit more investment and time.

I usually have a few tricks for when this type of mood sets in.

No. 1 Reduce your caffeine intake

I know this sounds wacko when you’re trying to make ends meet, but it seriously helps. I find that when I swap my afternoon coffee with 3 glasses of water I’m much more awake, attentive and fresh than had I indulged in a strong brew.

No. 2 Move

You don’t need to double your workouts, just don’t forget to get out and move your body. Working up a sweat even by just walking up a few flights of stairs will help get your blood moving which will in turn help overall circulation of kinetic energy throughout your body. I’ll go for a quick jaunt outside (maybe to pick up some fresh flowers) to get my heart rate up for a few minutes.

No. 3 Eat for performance, not for pleasure

Its easy to fall into a pattern when you return from a vacation full of indulgence. Remember that your body is craving natural, whole, and unprocessed foods in order to function properly. Fuel your body to achieve balanced energy levels. Start your day with wholesome carbs such as fruit and natural protein like eggs, and reduce carb intake as the day goes one - and grab lean proteins for a snack in the afternoon. (I’m a fan of a few turkey slices with almonds and goats milk cheese). Never neglect greens, I love making a good green juice to help kickstart my morning routine after a good workout.

Get yourself some beautiful flowers. Remind yourself that above all else, in order to show up for others you need first to show up for yourself.

No. 4 Rest

Pull back a bit, set your bedtime a little earlier and try not to fall asleep with a screen. Give yourself some time to adjust to sleeping in a more normal pattern.

No. 5 Let go

Chances are, you’re also under a lot of stress at this time of year. Whether its family, friends, work or personal - cut yourself some slack and try to remember that you always come first. Its okay (and empowering) to say no to things. Say no to accepting another social invitation, or no to taking on another project if you’re feeling swamped. Its okay to let people “down” because they’ll get over it— but its not okay to let your health suffer in order to meet the needs or requests of others.

No. 6 Bring out the big guns

Draw a bath, light the candles, make some healing tea. Pamper yourself a little because you deserve to feel completely worth it — now more than ever. Go get a pedicure or a facial. Meet your needs and indulge a bit in the realm of self care and treatment. Get yourself some beautiful flowers. Remind yourself that above all else, in order to show up for others you need first to show up for yourself.

xx happy comeback all.