Mental Health After the Holidays: Coping With the January Slump
A Gentle Acknowledgment of the Post-Holiday Emotional Crash
For many people, January arrives quietly—but heavily.
The lights come down. The gatherings end. The calendar opens into wide, empty space. And suddenly, the energy that carried us through the holidays is gone.
If you’re noticing a dip in your January mental health—sadness, exhaustion, loneliness, irritability, or a lack of motivation—you’re not alone. This experience is often called the post-holiday blues, and for those navigating grief, loss, or major life transitions, it can feel especially pronounced.
You may be grieving the death of a loved one, the loss of a relationship, or the absence of a beloved pet. Or you may be holding quieter forms of grief—retirement, relocation, caregiving burnout, identity shifts, or the slow realization that life no longer looks the way it once did.
There is nothing wrong with you for feeling this way. January is not a failure of resilience—it’s a transition. And transitions ask for tenderness.
Small rituals can help the nervous system feel safe again.
Why the Post-Holiday Blues Happen
The January slump isn’t “all in your head.” There are real emotional, physiological, and nervous-system reasons this time of year can feel so difficult.
Emotional Letdown After Intensity The holidays often come with heightened emotions—connection, obligation, nostalgia, longing, and sometimes survival mode. When that intensity ends, the nervous system can feel unmoored. What was once distracting now gives way to what’s been waiting underneath.
Seasonal Mood Changes Shorter days, reduced sunlight, and colder weather can affect circadian rhythms and serotonin levels. Seasonal mood changes can quietly impact energy, sleep, and emotional regulation—especially in January.
Grief Becomes Louder For many, the holidays require holding it together. Once they pass, grief can surface more clearly. This is common in grief and trauma healing, where the body finally senses it’s safe enough to feel.
Pressure to “Start Fresh” New-year messaging often emphasizes productivity, goals, and transformation. For someone in loss or transition, that pressure can feel alienating or shaming—especially when what’s needed is rest, not reinvention.
If this resonates, you can read more about the kind of grief support I offer here, including gentle, trauma-informed approaches designed to support people through seasons like this.
Practical Ways to Support Your Mental Health in January
Rather than drastic resolutions, January invites small, sustainable, body-based care. These practices support emotional regulation without overwhelming the nervous system.
Soften Your Expectations Instead of asking, “What should I accomplish?” try asking, “What would help me feel a little more steady today?” Stability is a meaningful goal.
Anchor in the Body Somatic grief healing begins with safety. Gentle practices like:
Slow breathing with longer exhales
Placing a hand on your chest or belly
Stretching or walking without tracking steps
These body-based grief healing tools help the nervous system settle before the mind tries to “figure things out.”
Create Gentle Structure Simple rhythms—morning light, regular meals, one grounding ritual—can be deeply supportive during seasonal mood changes. Structure doesn’t have to be rigid to be regulating.
Limit Comparison and Overconsumption January can amplify comparison. Consider reducing exposure to content that pushes urgency or perfection. Grief support often begins with permission to move at your pace.
Stay Connected—Even Lightly Isolation intensifies the post-holiday blues. Connection doesn’t have to be heavy: a check-in text, a Zoom grief support group, or a quiet online workshop can offer reassurance without pressure.
Many people find that learning how grief coaching supports emotional regulation and motivation in January helps normalize what they’re experiencing—and clarifies what kind of support might feel right.
How Coaching Can Help You Reset After the Holidays
Many people reach out for support in January—not because they’re “falling apart,” but because they want to feel more regulated, grounded, and supported as they move forward.
Grief coaching online offers a compassionate, trauma-informed space to:
Support emotional regulation and nervous-system balance
Gently process grief and trauma without re-traumatization
Rebuild motivation after burnout or loss
Feel less alone in experiences that don’t fit conventional timelines
Trauma-informed grief support honors the wisdom of the body and meets you where you are. It’s not about fixing or rushing grief—it’s about creating safety so healing can unfold.
For some, this support comes through one-on-one coaching. For others, it’s found in online workshops, Zoom grief support groups, or even a grief healing retreat that allows space to step out of daily demands and reconnect with themselves.
Seeking support is not a last resort. It’s a stabilizing, proactive choice—especially during seasons of transition.
A Gentle Invitation Forward
If January feels heavier than you expected, you don’t need to push yourself to “snap out of it.”
For many people, mental health after the holidays is shaped by emotional letdown, seasonal mood changes, and grief that finally has room to surface. Nothing about that means you’re doing this wrong—it means your system is responding to a real transition.
Instead of asking yourself to fix how you feel, you might gently ask:
What would help me feel a little more steady right now?
What kind of support would help me feel safer, less alone, or more regulated as I move through this season?
Grief and trauma healing aren’t linear, and support doesn’t have to be a last resort. Many people find that gentle, somatic grief support helps stabilize mood, motivation, and emotional overwhelm during the post-holiday blues.
If you’re curious, you can read more about the kind of grief support I offer here—including trauma-informed, body-based approaches designed to meet you where you are.
And if it feels supportive to talk things through, you’re also welcome to begin with a quiet, no-pressure conversation about what this season is bringing up for you and what support might feel right.
There’s no rush.
January doesn’t require transformation—it invites presence, care, and permission to be held.
Dawn M. Geoppinger, Trauma-Informed Grief & Embodiment Coach
Dawn M. Geoppinger is a Trauma-Informed Grief & Embodiment Coach based in Portland, Oregon, with a strong foundation of over two decades of professional experience in public administration, education, and the nonprofit sector. She specializes in grief education, somatic movement, breathwork, and mindfulness, integrating evidence-based approaches such as somatic practices, post-traumatic growth and woman-centered principles to help clients reconnect with themselves, regulate their nervous systems, and honor the full spectrum of loss and healing. Through her practice, The Embodied Grief Journey™, Dawn provides compassionate, expert support both in person and online—creating safe, nurturing spaces for individuals to explore grief, resilience, and embodied healing.
For many people, mental health after the holidays feels more complicated than expected. If January feels quieter, heavier, or more draining, you’re not failing—you’re responding to a real transition.
Rather than pushing yourself to “snap out of it,” you might gently ask:
What would help me feel more regulated and supported right now?
Where could I receive care instead of carrying this alone?
Grief and trauma healing don’t follow a straight line, and support can be a steadying presence rather than a last resort.
If you’re interested in grief coaching online, somatic grief healing, or gentle coaching support during the January slump, I invite you to schedule a discovery call or explore current offerings. Support is available—and it can meet you at your pace.
