Returning After Christmas: Giving Yourself Time to Adjust
- jwarrington77
- Jan 4
- 3 min read
Returning After Christmas: Giving Yourself Time to Adjust
Here you go!! Back to it. Bloody January! You will get through this month. You always have. You maybe doubt that you will but you always do. We can try and re-frame January but there's a limit to how far re-framing can go! It's a month of adjustment. (Some people do love this month....but then they are probably sat retired on a beach somewhere....!!).
For many people, the return to school, college, university, or work after the Christmas break can feel far from easy. January arrives with expectations of routine, productivity, and momentum, yet emotionally and mentally we may still be catching our breath.
Of course, there are countless people who don’t get a pause over Christmas at all. Those working in the emergency services, healthcare, care roles, armed forces, retail, hospitality, and many other sectors continue throughout the festive period, often under increased pressure. Their efforts deserve recognition and gratitude.
At the same time, there are also many thousands of people who are stepping back into classrooms, lecture halls, offices, and workplaces this month—and for them, the return can bring its own set of challenges.
After time away, adjusting again takes energy. Sleep patterns may be disrupted, motivation can feel low, and the contrast between the pace of the festive season and the demands of everyday life can feel stark. Alongside this, January can prompt reflection. Thoughts about whether things should stay the same or change may surface, yet contemplating long-term changes can feel daunting, overwhelming, or simply unrealistic when you’re already struggling to get through the week.
I'm obviously going to say this but this is one of the times of the year where counselling can really help. Counselling offers time and space—space to slow down and find words for how you are really feeling. It allows room for fears, hopes, dreams, and reflections about the past, present, and future to be explored safely, without pressure or judgement.
Christmas itself can be a particularly challenging time, as we know. For some, returning to work or study can actually feel grounding - a return to structure, purpose, or familiarity. For others, the festive season represents magic, nostalgia, hope, or connection, and stepping back into routine can feel like an unwelcome jolt to the system.
You may hear phrases like “you just have to get on with it” or “this is how things are.” While there may be truth in those statements, we are human beings with feelings. We are not automatons, carrying on without a heart. Acknowledging how something feels does not mean we are weak—it means we are human.
If January feels heavy, please don’t struggle on your own. Be kind to yourself. Nurture yourself. If you need to hunker down for a while, that’s okay. You will get through this January, like you have countless others but have forgotten about. You'll pace yourself - this first week back will be a shock to your nervous system but then you'll get into your stride again.
If the New Year's Resolutions are already looking too ambitious then adjust. An alteration is not a defeat or failure, it is a tactical adjustment! That's what I will tell myself anyway!
What we do know is that the darkness and cold will shift. The days will lengthen. Spring will arrive before we know it.
If you would like support during this time, please feel free to contact me:
07941 217483
It would be my privilege to help you. You don’t have to endure alone.
Thanks for reading,
John Warrington, Counselling Minds.
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