End of the Year Blues

It’s okay to be down, but don’t stay there…
Counting down to a new year is exciting, fun, and motivational to say the least. However, there are those moments when somber thoughts arise. While everyone is gearing up for entertainment and parties, you may not be in the mood to be festive. You may want to be alone, or you’re mentally sitting through the past 11 months wishing you could turn back time. It's perfectly normal to not always feel happy about the clock striking midnight.

"With these mental tests, it's best to get in motion and practice gratitude for the things that did go right."

A year can make a big difference. In both good and bad ways. Welcoming new life, a new job, an increase in finances, or a big experience can have one beaming and ready to elevate to more. On the flip side, losing a loved one, heartbreak, or even going through a continuation of hard times from the previous year can push your mind down into dark places.

When the mind goes down, so does the body. There’s no desire to go outside for fresh air or tackle in-house duties. Tiredness takes over but relaxation and rest are far away. Deep thoughts spiral down into a rabbit hole of “shoulda, coulda, woulda”.  In addition, feeling bad about life choices/mistakes can make one feel as if the entire year can be thrown away. With these mental tests, it's best to get in motion and practice gratitude for the things that did go right.

The final push can be the hardest in any race. The laps that have beaten down take a toll on the mind. Even when this happens, keep pushing. Pushing through the exhaustion can be tough but worth it in the end. Get up anyway. Most problems can’t be erased completely by thinking positively, but there can be a shift in the mental state from blues to sunshine.

"Feel it, identify it, then release from the shackles of the blues."​

Turning your blues around can be tricky. Just when there’s a hint of a silver lining, a thought or another problem can arise. While dealing with fires, dance anyway. Life will continue whether times are good or tough so it’s a good practice to just keep moving along with it. Create new moments and new memories with friends (or even with yourself). Step outside the comfort zone and try something different. Keep laughing. Do something nice for someone less fortunate. These things can transform the mental dark place into a better space.

If there’s nothing else to celebrate on 12/31 and 1/1, celebrate the fact that the tough times didn’t/won’t conquer all. Making it through is an accomplishment in itself. Going into the new year with thoughts of putting an end to the mental blues is a great start to a good year. Feel it, identify it, then release from the shackles of the blues.

The Blakk Dahlia (E. Alexcina Brown) is a New York City author/blogger from Macon, GA. Recently, she released the book series, the Heartbreak Diaries outlining different perspectives of heartbreak. The Dahlia Diaries is a lifestyle blog penned by The Blakk Dahlia, sharing her story in NYC along with life lessons and tips she's learned in her journey.