Healthy New Year: Getting back on track after the holidays

Medically reviewed by Dr. Betsy Koickel, MD on December 30th, 2025.

The holiday season is joyful, busy, and loaded with indulgent food and little time for self-care. All this celebrating can leave you feeling exhausted after the holiday and ready for a reset when the new year hits. The exhaustion may even lead to post-holiday sickness. 

The good news? You don’t need to do anything extreme or follow a restrictive plan to feel like yourself again. Getting back on track is about returning to the foundational habits that support your energy, mood, and overall well-being.

The holiday toll: why we feel run down

The holiday season often brings added stress, disrupted sleep, irregular eating habits, and more exposure to germs, all of which can lead to getting sick after the holidays. 

All of these stressors can leave you feeling run-down and increase your risk of illness. Giving your body time to rest and recover is essential for rebuilding energy and supporting your immune system. 

Below are simple, sustainable strategies to regain energy by resetting your diet, exercise routine, sleep habits, and stress levels to get back on track after the holidays.

Tip #1: Prioritize rest and sleep

Holiday travel, late nights, and social events can leave you feeling exhausted after the holidays. Sleep is the foundation of getting healthy. It plays a role in appetite, immune function, stress management, and energy levels, making it one of the most impactful areas to reset in the new year.

To get back on track with sleep, start with a consistent sleep and wake time, even on weekends. This helps regulate your circadian rhythm and improves sleep quality. A calming wind-down routine, such as reading, gentle stretching, avoiding stimulants (like caffeine), and dimming lights, also signals your body to shift into rest mode.

If you're waking up at night or still feeling tired in the morning, consider whether stress, late eating, alcohol, or irregular routines are impacting your sleep. Improving just one or two of these habits can improve sleep.

Tip #2: Hydrate and nourish your body 

After several weeks of celebratory meals and treats, many people are tempted to “start fresh” with severe calorie cuts or restrictive diets. But extreme diet changes often backfire, leading to cravings and overeating later. 

A more effective reset involves adding nutrient-dense foods, rather than eliminating everything you think you “shouldn’t” eat. Build meals around lean proteins, high-fiber vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats to support satiety and nourish your body with the right balance of nutrients. Staying well hydrated can also help the body naturally detoxify from all the holiday indulgences.

Start with simple habits, like eating a protein-rich breakfast, planning your meals for the week, and staying hydrated. All of these small changes can quickly help you feel more energized.

Also, remember that January is the peak of cold and flu season, when immunity naturally takes a hit from winter weather and post-holiday fatigue. A nutrient-dense diet supports immune health, and staying well hydrated can help you recover faster if you do get sick after the holidays.

Tip #3: Get moving with light exercises

Regular exercise may have become an afterthought during the busy holiday season. But the new year is a natural opportunity to get back to a routine. Instead of jumping immediately into intense workouts that can actually delay recovery, start with smaller, approachable goals that rebuild strength, stamina, and consistency.

Light to moderate movement, such as walking, stretching, or low-impact strength sessions, helps increase energy and support mood. Even starting with 10–20 minutes of activity can significantly improve metabolic health and reduce stress levels.

To stay consistent, consider scheduling your workouts for the week or using a simple tracking tool. When you make exercise a priority in your schedule, it is much more likely to become a consistent habit.

Tip #4: Visit us at urgent care if you’re feeling under the weather

If you do find yourself with a post-holiday sickness during the winter months, particularly if symptoms worsen or start to interfere with your daily routine, visiting an urgent care center can provide a convenient way to get the support and care you need. 

Providers can evaluate symptoms, rule out more serious infections, and recommend appropriate treatments to help you recover from being sick. Getting the right treatment and diagnosis right away helps you feel better sooner and prevents minor illnesses from becoming more serious.

To get started, find a center near you and walk in or save your spot online.

Tip #5: Reset your mindset for the new year

The holiday season might be fun, but it can also be stressful. As the new year begins, stress management and taking care of your mental health become an important part of getting back on track.

Start by identifying what areas of life feel overloaded and where small changes could be made to create breathing room. Support your nervous system through daily grounding practices, such as brief morning breathing exercises, short walks outdoors, meditation, journaling, or even a five-minute pause between tasks. Taking short breaks helps shift your body out of a stress response and supports clearer thinking and a better mood.

The new year doesn’t involve drastic changes, but instead set realistic, sustainable, and healthy goals to help you feel your best physically and mentally.

Conclusion

Getting healthy after the holidays isn’t about making up for anything or revamping your whole life. It’s about realigning with the proactive habits that make you feel nourished, strong, rested, and grounded. By focusing on small, sustainable steps in your diet, movement, sleep, and stress management, you set yourself up for a healthy, confident start to the new year. 

If you need more support, visit an urgent care location near you.

FAQs

Here are frequently asked questions about post-holiday sickness and tips for getting healthy.

1. Why do I feel run-down after the holidays?

You may feel exhausted after the holidays due to stress, irregular routines, poor sleep, and increased exposure to illness during cold and flu season.

2. What are some ways to recover from holiday exhaustion?

The best way to recover is by resting, hydrating, eating balanced meals, moving your body gently, and easing back into your routine.

3. How much sleep do I need to feel better?

Most adults need 7–9 hours of sleep per night to feel their best.

4. What are some foods that can help me feel better after the holidays?

Nutrient-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and drinking enough water can help you feel better after the holidays.

5. Can urgent care help with common post-holiday illnesses?

Yes, urgent care can evaluate symptoms, provide treatment, and help rule out more serious post-holiday sickness.