Post-festival blues to body detox: Expert tips to keep your health on track after the festive season

The streets of Mumbai and many other cities are currently brimming with the excitement of Ganeshotsav 2024. There's activity and vibrancy throughout the country. People are dressing up, preparing delicious treats, visiting friends and family and participating in community activities, and there's a general atmosphere of joy and excitement. Festivals like Paryushan Parv, Onam and Eid also fall during this time. However, the curtains will soon be drawn on this festive season.

As Ganpati Bappa bids the final farewell on September 17 and other festivals also draw to a close, the vibrant festive atmosphere will make way for normalcy. This shift can lead to some people experiencing an emotional phenomenon called the post-festival blues. Moreover, after the busyness of the festive season, which is characterised by indulging in sweets and other treats, a body detox may become essential to get your system back on track.

Mid-day.com speaks to health experts who share tips to keep your mental and physical health on track after the festive season.

Navigating post-festival blues

Post-festival blues refers to a feeling of sadness or a sense of dullness upon returning to normalcy after the extravagance of a festival.

Dr Kedar Tilwe, Consultant Psychiatrist, Fortis Hospital Mulund and Hiranandani Hospital, Vashi, says, "It is fairly common to experience low mood or slight anxiety, especially if you have had a great festive season."

Shruti Shah, a Mumbai-based psychologist and founder of Holistic Mind Therapy, further explains, "As the festive season wraps up, many people experience a drop in mood and energy, commonly referred to as ‘post-festival blues'. In Indian culture, where festivals like Ganeshotsav, Diwali, Navratri and Eid hold immense significance and are times of great joy and connection, the emotional shift post-festivities can be particularly noticeable."

She adds, "Post-festival blues can manifest as feelings of low mood, lack of energy, irritability, and a sense of emptiness once the excitement fades. From a psychological perspective, any intense experience, such as a festival, often brings with it a build-up of emotions and expectations. Once it's over, the abrupt drop in activity and stimulation can leave people feeling adrift."

Also Read: Grief, loneliness, fear of missing out: Experts share tips to navigate mental health challenges during the festive season

But why does this occur?

Shah states the following factors that can contribute to post-festival blues:

Emotional highs and lows: The lead-up to festivals involves excitement, anticipation and participation in joyous activities like family gatherings, rituals and celebrations. Once this is over, the contrast between the high-energy festive atmosphere and the return to normal routine can feel stark.

Unmet expectations: Festivals often come with emotional and social expectations - whether it's reconnecting with family, enjoying certain traditions or simply having a "perfect" celebration. When these expectations aren't met, it can result in disappointment and a feeling of loss.

Financial and physical strain: In India, festivals often involve significant expenditures, from gifts to travel and elaborate celebrations. This can create financial stress afterward. Similarly, the physical toll of late nights, heavy food and travel may leave people exhausted and more prone to emotional fluctuations.

Social withdrawal: Indian festivals are typically community-driven, full of interactions with friends, neighbours and extended family. Post-festivities, this sudden drop in social engagements can lead to feelings of loneliness.

Tips to ensure mental well-being during the festive season

While post-festival blues are real and a common occurrence, there are ways in which one can manage their emotions better during this time.

Dr. Tilwe suggests the following:

• Talking about this with your immediate family would be helpful.
• If possible, reconnect with your cousins and friends whom you met after such a long time over the next week or a couple of weeks. Follow through on the plans that you made together.
• Gratitude journaling is a great way to handle the post-festival blues.
• If you want to add a twist to it, you could decide the activities that you plan to do in the coming festive season, which starts next month.

Shah has the following tips:

• Embrace the transition mindfully: Acknowledge that it's normal to feel a little down once the festivities are over. Be gentle with yourself and try to adopt a mindful approach to transitioning back into your routine. Grounding exercises, such as deep breathing or spending a few quiet moments in reflection, can help.
• Focus on small pleasures: Once the festival is over, shift your attention to smaller joys that can offer fulfillment, such as enjoying your morning coffee, reading a good book or even trying a new recipe. Keeping the joy alive in everyday activities helps prevent that sense of emptiness.
• Stay connected: While the festive season is over, continue to maintain social connections. Reach out to friends or relatives you enjoyed spending time with during the celebrations, even if just for a casual conversation. This sense of continuity can help bridge the emotional gap.
• Recovery plan: Festivities can be physically and emotionally draining. Schedule some rest days to allow your body and mind to recover. This helps avoid burnout and restores your energy levels gradually.
• Set new goals: Post-festivities can be a great time to set fresh intentions or goals. Whether it's a health goal, a work project or even learning a new skill, giving yourself something to look forward to can ease the transition and create a positive focus for the coming weeks.
• Seek professional help if needed: If the post-festive blues persist or start affecting your daily functioning, consider speaking to a therapist or counsellor.

Post-festive blues are a natural emotional response, but with awareness and some simple steps, one can navigate through this smoothly and maintain well-being.

Tips for post-festival body detox

Mental health might be affected after the festive season, and so might physical health. Due to constant activity, travelling, and eating sweets and fried foods, your body may get exhausted and need a detox.

Khushboo Jain Tibrewala, nutritionist, diabetes educator and founder of The Health Pantry, explains, "The festive season is synonymous with sugar, fried and retried foods, refined oils, refined flours and random food colour, etc., that come in our diet by way of the foods we eat. For a lot of homes, there might also be more alcohol consumption."

"All of this puts a lot of pressure on your liver, which is the housekeeping unit of your body. These foods also impact digestion. Just one day of bad food can impact your gut microbiome. Add to that the fact that we tend to eat and sleep at odd hours during festivals. All of these make a week-long detox essential post-festive season," she adds.

Jain Tibrewala shares the following nutrition and lifestyle tips for body detox after the festive season:

• The best way to support the detoxification system of your body is fasting. Eat your last meal by sunset and then break the fast by 11-12 the next day.
• Have a glass of ginger, mint, coriander, celery, black pepper and ACV juice on an empty stomach.
• Add at least 1 fistful of fresh herbs of different types in each meal.
• Have a cup of Cumin Coriander Fennel Tea post-lunch. Boil 1/2 tsp each of the cumin, coriander and fennel seeds in 300 ml water for 4-5 minutes. Strain and drink.
• Stay off wheat completely.
• Sleep for 1 hour extra.

Also Read: Ganesh Chaturthi 2024: Replace sugar with honey, churma for sattu, and other sweet hacks