Post holiday crash

[Trying]

This was the first Christmas that I really felt like celebrating and not just putting on an act.  It all went very well, I really enjoyed time with DHs family, my kids, fiancé and his kids and my mom for 2 days.  But today I have completely crashed.  Not the grief crash like previous years but just physical and emotional exhaustion.  I slept in this morning, took a nap, worked for a few hours and now I'm ready to go to bed at 8:00.  House is still a mess and I don't even care.  I'm kinda used to being exhausted after challenging events but are the good times always going to take a toll on me too?

[imissdow]

I'm not exactly a people person. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy being with my friends or I can't have a good time. Rather it means I get my engery from being alone. From quiet. Knowing this has helped me understand why I react the way I do and how to manage things. Durning the holidays that are normally packed with friends, family and stuff I find I need to recharge. I go to my room, my kids have learned not to bug me, in part because I'm usally nicer when I return. In crowds I tend to find a quieter spot or at least one with a natural barrier so that I'm out of the crowd.

So I also schedule my times with family with large gaps in between. This year I went to my in-laws Christmas Eve just for a hour.  then home Christmas Day and then Monday with my parents just about 3 hours . Typically these would be spread out over a week or so, this year it didn't work thankfully I had already done Christmas with my friends. I have 1 more to do but that won't be till after New Years. 

For me happy times wear on me because they are filled with people. I like it that way but I also know I need down time also. I'm much happier if my celebrations are with 6-8 people rather then 20+.

[trying2breathe]

Trying  The holidays really took it out of me too.  Like you, it wasn't a grief thing but instead a feeling of exhaustion from the organization and preparations.  I was happy this time to go through the motions of decorating, even put up outside lights and went all out on the Christmas tree.  I'm happy now that it's over, and I get my house back.  I slept in on the 26th - felt so good to have some alone time and not have to accommodate anybody.  The decorations will be slowly put away, the leftovers finished off, a little bit of a break before hosting a small New Year's party at home. 

 

 

Three years ago I felt that we would never celebrate a holiday again.  It's good to have some semblance of a Christmas holiday back for the family.