Post-holiday horrors

The Christmas tree is in the trash and all the lights and ornaments hidden away in the depths of the basement; the menorah is out, and so are the Kwanzaa candles; the Three Kings are long gone; the wrapping paper has been recycled and all you have to remind you of the holidays are those extra pounds. Reality has struck: Break is over.

Do not despair. There are ways to keep your spirits up until the start of Spring Break on April 8. To deal with your depression and keep the holiday spirit alive, try the following:

A New Year's resolution

Sure, the traditional day for a New Year's resolution is, well, New Year's, but such resolutions are just goals or promises -- and you can make those whenever you want. Plus, making a resolution (even if you don't end up technically achieving your goal) will make you feel like a million bucks. There is nothing like a fresh start.

Of course there are the typical resolutions: eat right, lose weight, do good well in school, be nicer to your family, manage your time better.

The reason so many adults have given up on their annual vows are that these are not fun to do. It's a long way until spring — resolutions are far better on the exciting side.

Try something new: give Samba a shot, register for yoga classes, start knitting. Do whatever you've always wanted to try but been too much of a wuss to start. Maybe it's as simple as writing a poem every once in awhile.

Whatever it is, a resolution can give you the kind of motivation you'll need to make it through the dreary winter doldrums.

Re-gifting

Remember all those atrocious presents you got? What about the hideous sweater from your Aunt Esther and that wretched journal from Grandpa Phil you know you'll never use?

That is why Santa invented re-gifting. Well, maybe not Santa, but somebody did. How do you think your parents get rid of all those fruit cakes?

Re-gifting is the perfect solution for the gifts you will never use. As long as you do not accidentally re-gift to the original giver (which, believe it or not, some people are actually stupid enough to do), re-gifting is a fantastic way to balance out the universe.

Instead of wasting or throwing out perfectly good presents, you can give them to someone who might actually put them to good use. Failing that, the gift recipient can easily pass on the present to someone more deserving, saving dollars and time at the mall.

So don't get down about the horrible things you received. They may pale in comparison to what you really wanted, but those bad gifts mean that as birthdays approach and you find yourself unprepared, there will be no nervous breakdown — there is something hidden in the back of your closet that will do just fine.

Food

There are two ways you can deal with the pounds you've packed on over the holidays and the resulting gloominess. Option A: arduously work off that extra pudge so you can return to your formerly svelte and lithe self. Option B: finish off your Christmas stocking, or whatever tasty sweets are lying around the house, for some comforting, sugar-induced mental peace.

Personally, I go for Option B. Blast those Christmas cookies. Although the holidays present a great deal of opportunities for indulgence in Option B, they also introduce some unique calorie-burning prospects for all you Option A guys and gals.

One great chance for a workout is taking down the outside lights. Practically an Olympic sport, this rigorous exercise in untangling is sure to leave you feeling slimmer — that or leave you in a broken heap on the driveway because you swore to your mother you did not need her to hold the ladder.

For those of you who are a little less daring, there is always cleaning out the candle holders. While it may not sound challenging, those tiny Menorah candle holes require crafty muscle action. My theory is that as the years go by, the wax hardens into an extra hard titanium alloy as yet to be discovered by chemists.

Whatever it is, you'll need something to get you through the post-holiday pain. At least you have your joyous memories. Besides, there's plenty to look forward too: snow days, sledding, hot chocolate and getting back presents you thought were out of your life for good.