After the Holidays: Making Space for Rest, Recovery, and Mental Health

As the holidays come to an end and the new year begins, many people expect to feel refreshed, hopeful, and ready for a fresh start. In reality, the pressure of wrapping up the year, navigating the holidays, and meeting expectations doesn’t always disappear on January 1st. Instead, it can leave many of us feeling emotionally and physically exhausted. 

While the holiday season may be behind us, the responsibilities and pressures can linger. Work picks back up quickly, routines resume, and expectations to “get back on track” can arrive before we’ve had the chance to rest. Outside of work, caregiving responsibilities, family dynamics, and financial or emotional stressors often continue into the new year. 

In the midst of this transition, it’s common for feelings of not enoughness to surface or even intensify, i.e. feelings of not having done enough, not having rested enough, not feeling ready enough for what’s next. These thoughts might sound like: 

• I didn’t accomplish enough last year. 

• I should feel more motivated by now. 

• Everyone else seems to be moving forward. 

• I should be handling this better. 

This pressure – to perform, to improve, to move on – can quietly take a toll on our mental health. Performance anxiety at work, unresolved stress from the holidays, and emotional triggers that surfaced during family gatherings don’t automatically resolve just because the calendar has changed. 

For many, January can also deepen feelings of grief, isolation, or loneliness. The absence of loved ones may feel more noticeable once the gatherings end and the distractions fade. For those who experienced loss, particularly a recent one, the quiet of the new year can feel especially heavy. 

At CMHA North & West Vancouver, we want to remind you that all of these experiences are valid. It’s okay if the new year feels tender, slow, or different than expected. Healing and adjustment are not linear – and with time, these feelings can shift, soften, and change. 

As we move into the year ahead, it’s important to check in with our capacity. How much energy do we realistically have right now? What pace supports our well-being? Choosing self-care – whether through rest, boundaries, movement, slowness, or simply saying “no” can help to create space to show up for ourselves and others more sustainably. 

And let’s remember: Rest is productive. In a culture that often treats January as a time to accelerate, it’s easy to believe that resting means falling behind. In reality, rest is an investment in long-term well-being, resilience, and success – both personally and professionally. Our mental health depends on moments of restoration. 

As we begin a new year, we invite you to reflect not only on what you hope to achieve, but also on what you’ve already survived. Success is not measured solely by productivity, goals, or to-do lists. It is also found in endurance, compassion, and continuing to care for yourself and others in a world that can feel demanding and uncertain. 

If this time of year feels heavy, please know that you are not alone. Support is available, and reaching out is a sign of strength, not failure. You deserve care, understanding, and patience, especially during seasons of transition. 

However you are moving through the start of this year, may you meet yourself with kindness, honour your limits, and remember that being here, doing your best, is enough. 

The new year does not require immediate change, renewed productivity, or forced optimism. Sometimes, the most supportive thing we can do is give ourselves time to recover. 

Support Is Available in the New Year 

If you or someone you care about is experiencing a mental health or substance-use-related crisis, CMHA North & West Vancouver’s Crisis Response, Community-Led (CRCL) program is here to help. 

CRCL provides trauma-informed, community-based crisis support for anyone aged 13 or older on the North Shore, focusing on de-escalation, emotional support, safety planning, and connection to local resources. 

CRCL remains available 7 days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. (16.5 hours per day), including throughout the holiday season and into the new year. 

On behalf of our team at CMHA North & West Vancouver, we wish you a healthy and supported new year!