Post Holiday Syndrome: the simultaneous feelings of sadness and dread, yet excitement and renewal when leaving home to go back to school/work after the holiday break. After being home for nearly a month, gearing up to go back to school, and an entirely different reality is a strange feeling to experience for the first time.

Being at home surrounded by my nearest and dearest for an entire month is beyond refreshing for the heart and soul, but as the break draws to a close, I find myself experiencing some conflicting emotions. While I wish I could be home for longer, I am finding myself antsy to get back to the reality that is college in New York City.

The holidays are always a heartwarming time, spent with those you love most in the world, but once they're over there always seems to be a sense of sadness and a little dread to head back into the underwhelming monotony of typical everyday life. It feels almost like the crash of an energy spike. For years, this has always been my least favorite part of the holiday season; the feeling of drab emptiness replacing what was once warmth and cheer.

However, this year I've committed to combating the symptoms of the Post Holiday Blues as much as I can with a new outlook and a new mindset. Maybe this is because I now have the ability to return to the excitement that comes with living in a city with thousands of people yet an insanely refreshing level of anonymity, or maybe it's just because I'm desperate to hang on to the positivity of the holidays. Perhaps both, but regardless, I'm determined to cling to the motivation.

Whenever we leave something behind, we are always heading towards something else, something new and different from where we've been. And while this might not be a particularly astute observation, I feel like it is one that I, at least, tend to overlook. We always have two choices with which to view our present circumstances, whatever they may be. We have the option to view our current situation for the negativity it holds, or to elect to view it for the positive attributes it possesses instead.

Too often is it easier to get bogged down by what isn't going our way rather than focusing on what about the situation is working in our favor. In relation to returning to school after the month away, I can choose to view the situation as me leaving home again, and all of the wonderful people who live here, or I can choose instead to focus on where I'm going rather than what I'm leaving. The reality is, both are true. While I am leaving the comforts of home once more, I am still also going back to a place that is becoming easier and easier to call my home away from my true home.

Going into a new year and all that it will bring, while I find it of the utmost importance to appreciate what is behind us, I think it is equally important to look toward what lies ahead in order to maintain positivity about heading into new territory.

Ultimately, I've found the best cure for the post holiday blues is to just live in the moment, striving to make each one better than the last. This leaves what's behind you as refreshing memories, what's ahead of you unknown waiting to be discovered with excitement and anticipation in due time, and where you currently stand to be brimming with life in the moment.

Here's to the next year full of moments,

May they be filled with nothing but vitality.