After spending a wonderful holiday over the New Year period, some people feel blue and find that it's difficult to function normally in their daily rhythm. As defined by the DSM IV, holiday blues¹, holiday depression, or post-New Year blues, these commonly used terms depict² the mental distress³ occurring after the winter holidays and festival season.

在经历了春节假期的美好时光之后，很多人会感到忧虑，并且感觉要恢复日常生活节奏很困难。这种症状被称为“DSM IV”、“节后忧虑症”、“节后压抑”或是“新年后忧虑”。这些名词都描述了春假或是节假日后的精神压力。

Below are some suggested steps to get rid of your post winter festive⁴ season holiday blues.

接下来的这些步骤会帮助你摆脱你的节后忧虑症。

1. Expect some letdown. The holiday season is both joyful⁵ and stressful at once. There is family to get along with, gifts to buy and return, people to visit, activities to throw yourself into, plenty of festive food to eat, sales to rush to, and parties to plan and attend. Topped off with the excitement of New Year's Eve, your adrenaline has probably been pumping a lot of the time during the New Year's period. Returning to the usual routine and probably quieter workplace than normal can dampen your spirits just by the absence of exciting things to do and look forward to. Expecting to feel a little low is a way of telling yourself that this is a normal feeling and that it will soon pass once the routine re-establishes itself.

1. 了解节后会有段时间心情低落。节假日期间总是愉快与压力并存。走亲访友、交换礼物、拜访熟人、参加活动、节日大餐、打折血拼、还有数不尽的派对……尤其是年三十儿的晚上。恐怕你的肾上腺素在整个春假期间都一直处于兴奋状态吧？所以一回到相对安静的日常工作状态，没了激动人心的事情去期待，你自然会觉得有点失落。了解节后自己的心情会受到影响，告诉自己这是一种正常的感受。这段时间很快就会随着日常生活的继续而过去的。

2. Choose to see the benefits of post-holiday time. The good side to the end of the holidays is that you've had a chance to rest, to relax, and to enjoy yourself. The craziness prior to New Year has ended both at the workplace and in the home, and the restful time after New Year has hopefully given you the opportunity to do things that are different from your usual routine. And any break in the routine is good for the spirit, providing you with the chance to rejuvenate⁶.

2. 多看到节后时光好的一面。假期尾声的好处在于你终于有机会可以休息休息、放松下来与自己相处。假日前无论工作还是生活中的疯狂状态终于告一段落，兴许假期中的时间能让你做一些平常无法去做的事儿。能从日常生活中脱离出来总是好的，能给你一个机会休养生息。

3. Be gentle on yourself with respect to your New Year's Resolutions. Ensure that any goals you've set are reasonable and most importantly achievable. Taking weight loss as an example, targeting for a size zero is unrealistic, but looking for 1 pound loss in a span of week seems to be more achievable.

3. 在新年计划这件事儿上，别太逼自己。确保你定下的目标都是合理的，更重要的是它们应是可达成的。用减肥来举例，要想减到零号的尺码不现实，但如果要求自己一周减一磅(约0.9斤)就比较合理了。

4. Keep being around people. Some of the post-holiday season blues might be related to having been around many people over the New Year break and then suddenly finding yourself surrounded by people you don't know that well, or even not by many people at all. Lift your spirits by continuing to stay connected with friends and family, and getting out and about to do activities where other people interact with you.

4. 多接触人。有的节后忧虑症的产生是因为假日期间我们身边多有朋友家人的陪伴，而节假日后却突然回到一群不那么熟悉的人中间，或者根本无人陪伴。这时要想保持心情愉悦，应该多和朋友家人联络，或走出去、参与活动，多和人群互动。

5. Do things that give you cause to look forward to something. Revive the excitement of anticipation⁷ by arranging fun things, such as having dinner with friends, starting a new class for a hobby or interest, attending a sporting event regularly, going to the movies, etc. Choose activities that meet your budget and interests, and that you know will give you a thrill.

5. 做一些能让你向前看的事儿。你可以组织一些有趣的事儿来保持自己参与的兴奋感，比如和朋友共进晚餐、开始一门新的兴趣课、定时参加某种体育活动、看电影等等。参与这些符合你兴趣和预算的活动，你就能保持假日的新鲜感。

6. Make healthy choices. After the many indulgences over the holiday period, it can leave you feeling a little out of shape and worse for wear in the nutrition department. Aim to return to eating healthy food, drinking healthy drinks, and ensuring that you keep getting a good amount of exercise. Eating well and keeping up regular exercise will enhance your mood and help you return to good shape and fitness levels.

6. 吃回健康食物。假日期间放纵自己大吃特吃后，通常我们都会有点发胖或营养不均衡。给自己设立目标吃回健康食品、喝健康的饮品，并且保证做足够的运动。健康进食、保证运动会让你恢复愉快的心情，并且保持体型。

7. Make this a time for getting professional help and turning around things that have been bothering you. The holiday season tends to put a hold on pressing issues at work and in your personal life because the celebrations, meet-ups, and preparations require your foremost attention. Once this busyness dies down, you're returned to thinking about your general life issues and this might just be a good time to get help from the professionals, be it for anything from sorting out your finances, redecorating your home, or dealing⁸ with the unhappy feelings you're experiencing.

7. 用这段时间来解决一直烦恼你的事，寻求专业帮助。节日通常会让一些工作和生活上的问题暂缓，因为有所有这些庆祝、聚会和准备，要求你全身心的投入无法抽身。一旦这些忙碌的时间都过去，你就有时间好好想想那些该解决的日常事务。无论是经济问题、重新装修房屋、或是处理一段不愉快的经历，你都可以利用这段时间求得专家帮助。

8. Expect to enjoy the year ahead. Trying to keep a positive frame of mind and planning for interesting and fulfilling events throughout the year is a good way to calm your current blues. Think ahead to the changing seasons and the sorts of things you'd like to be doing as the year moves on, and the sorts of activities and events you'd like to be a part of. Doing something about the things you'd like to happen is the first step and once you're immersed in planning and doing, you'll be too busy to fret⁹.

8. 期待新的这一年。另一个驱赶忧虑心情的办法，就是保持一个积极的心态，好好计划新一年的各种活动。想想未来的变化和你想要在这一年做的事儿，或是想要参与的任何活动。为想做的事情计划并打算是第一步，而一旦当你开始忙碌地计划起来，你就不会有时间忧虑啦。