It's that time of year again—a time when socializing can feel like a chore. While we might like to get together for a lot of parties during the holidays, it can also feel like too much. And once you get home from the party, you may either find it difficult to calm down or it may cause you to feel tired because all that small talk can seem tiresome.
This is especially true for those who are not used to socializing as much, especially if they are more introverted and small talk requires a lot of effort, says Laurie Helgo, a clinical psychologist and author of the book Introvert Power: Why Your Inner Life Is Your Hidden Strength.
Read more: Decorating for the holidays early can improve your mood.
What causes this post-party depression?
There is a wide range of personality types. Extroverts can thrive at social events and even gain energy from them. But introverts They have a harder time because for them communication requires energy.
Between these two personality types, Helgo says, there is a wide range of people who fall on this continuum. There are also people who, although extroverted, are sensitive and worry about what others think of them.
After a party, an extrovert may have a different hangover than an introvert. An extrovert may feel frustrated or have a hard time calming down, whereas an introvert needs to process this experience internally.
“Introverts need silence to hear their thoughts,” says Helgo. And if it's the holiday season and you're going from a company party to a neighbor's party to your kid's school play, you don't have time for this processing.
Introverts and people who are more socially sensitive may also spend a lot of time thinking about what they said and did at the party, which can later lead to feelings of anxiety or depression.
The role of alcohol in post-party depression
According to a report from UCLA Health, most estimates suggest that alcohol consumption doubles during the holiday season, which is the result of a number of factors. First, there are more occasions to drink, and people who may be more nervous social settings might be more likely to drink. Not to mention, people may be in a holiday mood and are more likely to get into the holiday spirit.
“Alcohol is a disinhibitor, so there is a process of staying there, letting go, and then coming back down and feeling shame, wondering how you are perceived, and physical discomfort, all of which can contribute to post-holiday depression,” Helgo says.
According to the National Library of Medicine, alcohol is also a central nervous system depressant, although we think of it as something that makes you feel good. Ultimately, when you come out of this state, it is a depressant.
According to the Johns Hopkins report, drinking alcohol can also affect your sleep, which can further affect your mood since poor sleep makes it difficult to regulate emotions. If you go from party to party and drink alcohol at each one, it can cause problems with your sleep cycle for several days. And if you already have problems with self-esteem or looking at every conversation you had at a party and deciding whether you said the right thing, this can worsen your self-esteem.
Working against the expectations of the holiday season
And finally, says Helgo, while during the holiday season there are a lot of social activitiesit's also the time of year when many of us would rather hibernate. Winter is darker and often colder, but instead of following our circadian rhythms, Helgo says, we're in “go, go, go” mode.
One study published in Current biology found that post-industrial societies followed this rhythm, not us. The researchers found that both light and temperature were major determinants of sleep, and that this was true across societies that were not related to each other. In fact, even though we sleep more in the winter when it's dark and cold, we end up with more to do.
“There is a cultural disconnect because nothing changes in the expectations around us, even though biologically we need more sleep when there is less light,” Helgo says.
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