01/14/2026
The period following the winter holidays often brings a noticeable emotional shift for children and adolescents. After weeks of anticipation, social gatherings, and disrupted routines, January can feel abruptly quiet and demanding. The contrast between the stimulation of December and the structure of returning to school, extracurriculars, and expectations may lead to what is commonly described as a “January slump.” Young people may present with irritability, low mood, fatigue, decreased motivation, or heightened anxiety, particularly if the holidays were emotionally charged or accompanied by family stressors, loss, or unmet expectations. For some youth, the return to routine can feel less like stability and more like a loss of connection, novelty, or emotional safety.
Clinicians can play a vital role in helping children and teens process this post-holiday letdown through developmentally attuned hypnotic interventions. Hypnosis offers a framework for acknowledging disappointment and emotional fatigue without pathologizing these responses. Guided imagery can help younger children symbolically “close” the holiday season, such as visualizing placing meaningful memories on a shelf or in a keepsake box they can revisit later, while gently turning toward the present moment. For adolescents, self-hypnotic techniques that incorporate metaphors of transition, recalibration, or seasonal rhythm can support emotional integration. Pairing slow, rhythmic breathing with language that normalizes emotional ebb and flow allows teens to experience the return to routine as a gradual adjustment rather than an abrupt loss.
Hypnotic work can also support nervous system regulation and energy restoration during this period of transition. Clinicians may teach imagery focused on replenishment, such as visualizing warmth returning to the body or imagining internal resources being slowly refilled after a period of exertion. Establishing brief, repeatable self-hypnosis practices can help youth regain a sense of agency as they re-engage with daily demands. By framing January as a time of rejuvenation, clinicians can help children and adolescents approach the post-holiday period with increased self-compassion, emotional flexibility, and resilience, laying the groundwork for a steadier return to routine and well-being.