1. Play with your toys: If you got electronic gadgets for your holiday, tinker with them. If it’s puzzles, solve them. Clothes, go out on the town and be seen. Books, read them. You get the picture. Don’t let your presents  sit and gather dust or that will surely contribute to the down feeling. A sure fire way to stretch the happiness a little further is to exlore our gains. If you didn’t get toys, then by all means this is the time to go out and buy yourself some.

2. Go for a walk: Whether you live on the sunny beaches of Sanibel Island, Florida or the snow-filled sidewalks of Buffalo, New York, dress appropriately and get yourself out there. If it’s just too cold or too plain hot, go to a mall and window shop as you walk. Movement gets our endorphins going, and that’s another not-so-subtle way of saying buh-bye to the blues.

3. Get a hobby: Maybe you already have a hobby or two, but chances are when the post-holiday blues hit, you’ll forget about them. Post-holiday blues hit hard and can leave just as quickly if we take assertive action with them. So dust off that stamp collection (or start one), surfing the internet, jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, join a bowling league . . . there are limitless possibilities for us to become involved in different and intriguing activities.

4. Sing: It’s nearly impossible to be blue and sing, loudly (even if off-key), at the same time. So put on your favorite music and blast it out. If you’re too shy about being heard, then wait to try this one until you’re the only one home, or do it in the shower. (Who doesn’t sing in the shower?)

5.  Hang out with your friends: As much as you might feel like it, don’t turn down invitations to go out with your buddies. Besides that, if they should ask you out for coffee, and clothing was one of your holiday gifts, you’ll be doing two good things for yourself at once. Getting out, and showing off your new shiny toys; making this blah-ger very happy.

6. Learn an instrument: Myself, I fancy the piano, but perhaps I’m biased because I learned it as a child. But, I can guess what you might be thinking. Again with the music? According to Daniel Levitin, “music activates the same parts of the brain and causes the same neurochemical cocktail as a lot of other pleasurable activities like orgasms or eating chocolate . . . serotonin and dopamine are both involved.” So whether it’s the flute, violin, drums, piano, or harmonica, learn something to help make your life that much more enjoyable.

7. Learn a language: So maybe it’s not as easy for us adults to learn a new language as children, but we can still give it a good, healthy try. It’s really hard to focus on post-holiday blues when you are trying to learn to say “Have you seen my balls?” (As when on a tennis court.)

8. Be a mentor: When you bring the focus outside of yourself to someone else, you will be surprised at what happens. When you become another one’s world, that “one thing” for another child,  it will totally bring you  out of the black hole of the post-holiday blues. Try it. You don’t have to be wise. You just have to have a lot of love and a sense of humor.