Editor’s Note: Even though Emma Ledbetter has graduated, The Daily Evergreen has decided to continue the Ask Emma segment with a new author in honor of our friend Emma and all the people she has helped.

Dear Emma,

This past week has been great, taking a break from school, eating loads of food, and spending time out socializing, but my battery is drained. How can I get back into a good routine after feeling so out of my normal? 

Sincerely,

Thanksgiving Slump 

Thanksgiving Slump,

I know how you feel, I think everyone is gearing up to have a tough next few weeks as it is crunch time for school work before the long holiday break. First things first, don’t beat yourself up if you didn’t do school work, maybe you skipped the gym all week, indulged in your favorite foods, partied a little too hard. It is okay! That is exactly what break is for and you always have a new day ahead of you to accomplish your goals. 

With the next few weeks lingering ahead, don’t put too much pressure on yourself to feel and be perfect in getting back into a routine. It is going to take a little time to be back on your A game. I would suggest getting extra sleep during this time and really normalizing your sleep schedule. You absolutely need enough sleep to help support both your physical and mental health, especially during stressful times. 

Secondly, make lists. Every morning you wake up, try to make a list of all the ‘non-negotiable’ tasks for the day. Keep that list small and realistic because you don’t want to overwhelm yourself first thing in the morning with loads of tasks. I usually like to have four to five different tasks that I need to get done and cross off each task after I complete it. Accomplishing things on your checklist each week will help you ease back into a normal routine and get yourself moving again.

My third tip for overcoming the Thanksgiving slump is to keep your working space organized and collected. Start with a deep clean and get it what I like to call ‘hotel good’ and spend the rest of the time just staying as tidy as possible. For example, doing all your laundry that’s been sitting in your hamper for a week, scrubbing your windows and mirrors and vacuuming your room. All of these small tasks will help you feel tidy and organized as you are trying to balance a bunch of other things!

Fourth, do some form of self-care at night when it gets dark. Having a small routine or something that feels good during the dark hours can be really helpful to give you something to look forward to during the later hours of the day. Seasonal depression is real, and doing things that make you feel good will benefit your energy. For example, plan a workout at night, do your skincare before bed, plan on cooking a nourishing dinner, meditating before bed for 30 minutes each night. Whatever self-care is for you, change it to the darker hours so you’ll have something to engage in.

Overall, the holidays can be hard because things are moving so fast and it’s not always easy to keep up. Give yourself grace, you aren’t starting from square one just because you had a week of laying on the couch and eating pie for a week. You will get back into a solid routine within a week of taking care of yourself and pushing yourself a little! Good luck and don’t be too hard on yourself. 

Sincerely,

Emma