Did you know that many people after festive celebrations have post-holiday blues? If you experience any of such signs as low energy, catching a cold & flu, mood swings, loss of passion, or even depression… no worries, there are many ways to deal with this.

Here are my 7 favourite radical ways to combat the post-holiday blues. As many of them are health-related please consult your doctor or nutritionist to ensure there are no individual health concerns.

1. INTERMITTENT FASTING 

Intermittent fasting is a very effective tool to bring your immune system back in action. It involves eating patterns where you eat few calories from 12 to a day or so, on a recurring basis. Taking a break from food is something many cultures consider healthy and important. Even from medical research, we know that when there is not enough supply of food, the body starts producing ketones and rejuvenate itself, to get more energy and stamina.

There are a lot of benefits supported by science that intermittent fasting can do for our brains such as stress relief, improvement of our mood. It boosts our brain’s neuroplasticity, giving it the extra potential to adapt, learn, heal, and change — essential to restoring mental health. By doing this repeatedly intermittent fasting is thought to rewire stress and emotional-control networks towards optimum brain health.

2. CONTRAST SHOWER 

If you want an immediate boost of energy, have a very hot shower and for 20 seconds, in the end, turn the temperature to very cold. This technique has been used for hundreds of years in Siberia, in winter, even after chronic illnesses, depression, to get out of the alcohol dependency and post-festive blues. People would go to banya (Russian sauna) to warm up and then jump into ice-cold water. Scientific research has also been supporting this method to reduce general illness by almost 30%.

3. RAPID BREATHING TECHNIQUE 

Rapid breathing technique pumps the oxygen back into our body and alkalines it, to rejuvenate the cells and the immune system. Some call it diaphragmatic breathing, which is essentially deep breathing using the diaphragm to expand the belly. It is a core part of Yoga and Thai Chi and has been successfully used as a relaxation intervention for emotion enhancement and reduction of negative mood; for emotional exhaustion induced by job burnout; and to reduce anxiety and stress relief during labour, panic attacks, and reactions to phobias.

Another name for it is Holotropic breathwork It involves increasing your breathing rate to the point of near hyperventilation and achievement of altered states of consciousness. The research behind it is only just at the beginning stage. 

4. JUMP IT OUT – HIGH-INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING

I’m a big fan of trampolining. To get the lymphatic system in balance, we need to bounce. Similar to running. Running in winter months can be a bit difficult though, so get yourself at least to jump in-house! 

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is brief bursts of very intense exercise interspersed with periods of easy recovery. HIIT is a time-saving (often <15 minutes) psychological and physiological stress buster and mood booster that can achieve fitness benefits equivalent to or better than longer periods of continuous, moderate exercise.

5. LOTS OF SEX

Some amazing hormones are produced during making love. Did you know that sexually active people have a better immune system to fight bacteria and viruses? Also, they are more relaxed and have apparently better sleep, according to scientific research of the University of Pennsylvania and Clinic at Southern Illinois. That’s because endorphins and oxytocin are released during sex, and these feel-good hormones activate pleasure centres in the brain that create feelings of intimacy and relaxation and help stave off anxiety and depression. After orgasm, the hormone prolactin is released, which is responsible for the feelings of relaxation and sleepiness after sex, claims Sheenie Ambardar, MD, a psychiatrist in West Hollywood, California.

Feeling lethargic after catering for the whole family is not the best start for a pre-play. Making a conscious choice to prioritize intimacy is something everyone can do.

6. EAT DOPAMINE-BOOSTING FOOD

There is a lot of scientific research on how to increase dopamine level to feel better. Some of the foods like turmeric, green tea, ginseng, red beets and others (check my article here for more information) can help you feel better by giving you a healthy boost of energy in the morning.

7. PLAN YOUR NEXT TRIP

Making plans to excite the nervous system, would release a hormone called dopamine, so you are back on track from the post-holiday blues and start looking forward to something that excites you. If you need some ideas, check our award-winning Enrich Retreat and apply to attend.