Post-holiday blues don’t have to stay

Do you feel the agony of leftover holiday blues? You know. ... You gave the holidays your full emotional and financial attention, but somehow, you feel ripped off in the deal.

Hurtful in-laws? Credit card bills hitting the mailbox? Asyou try to clean up your slightly chaotic house, you vow to hold onto your sanity. Tips to regain your balance:

Go over your blessings in detail. Paying attention to what’s right is a good way to feel better. Make a list.

Don’t allow others to spoil your happiness. We all have a relative who loves to flaunt his success or demean us in some way. Send them out of your brain. Refuse to dwell on them.

Use humor to curb stress. Haul out some old movies that provide you with a few laughs. Or share some crazy holiday stories with friends.

“The brain needs healthy thoughts to feel harmonious,” says a businessman we’ll call Tom. “When I first opened my store ... a few years ago, I rode an emotional roller coaster that nearly killed me. I’d toss and turn all night worrying.”

Tom says he began to focus on a single day at a time. “You are really channeling your energies to get more done this way. Worrying is like draining your own batteries while you’re trying to put one foot in front of the other.”

A good New Year’s Resolution is to conquer worry and fear in 2013. When you place all your energies on thinking the best thoughts possible, you’ll have enough emotional energy to get everything done.