CT: The Post-Holiday Slump

So we're here today to talk about that most horrific of times, the Post-Holiday Slump. I think for me this is the absolute hardest time of any year. Actually, let's revise that. It's not just at the holidays. If I've been on vacation, or visiting friends, or even on a work trip, the first two or so weeks back are ridiculously hard. 

I know this may come as a shock to you, but I, as a human being on Earth, MUCH prefer vacation to my real life. When I was a teenager my friends all laughed about how I was a completely different person during the summer vacation than I was during the school year. What can I say? It is just SO much better when I can come and go as I please. If I want to read a book for an hour, I just pick up the book. If I want to take four naps a day, I could take four naps a day (not that I would ever do that, hahahahaha, who even thinks like that?... move along, nothing to see here).

This is my preferred state of being.

But the truth of the matter is that when I'm away from my regular life, I get to be SO creative. Cait and I literally had the chance to sit in a car for 16+ hours and talk about the script that we're working on. I read (no joke) 5 books while I was home. I watched movies with my nephews and wrote in my journal and sketched out characters randomly throughout the day because I could. 

The jolt of reality when I return to my regularly scheduled life is the worst transition ever. I'm moody and depressed, I don't want to work on anything, I'm tired all the time. 

So I've worked out a little game plan of things that make me feel more like my vacation self during the first few weeks back in the real world: 

1) Art, art, art, art, art

I do my absolute darndest to get as much art and storytelling in my life as possible. Last weekend it was catching up on all the movies I'd missed while I was away. This weekend is a little more eclectic. We're going to a musical stage show thing tonight, and a screening of The Last Unicorn this morning.

My childhood self is FREAKING OUT right now.

2) Get Back To Work

This is the most important part. Gotta get writing again. Pick up that spec episode, work on those character outlines, submit to those festivals. Getting back to work as quickly as possible reminds me of why we do this in the first place. 

3) Remind Yourself Why Reality Isn't So Bad

Truth be told, I really, really like my daily life. Even if my job isn't writing full time (yet), I really enjoy it. And it's WAY easier to fit running into my daily routine when I'm back to reality because vacation me is like "What is running? That sounds crazy. Let's eat a cookie and take a nap." So it's good to take a moment and remind myself that I built this life and I love living it. And being a hippie up in the woods near Seattle probably wouldn't be nearly as much fun as it sounds. 

I hope you're all recovering from your own Holidays! This year already seems filled with some amazing things, and I think it's going to be a good one after all. 

Much Peace!
CT