Most years, the season of giving and good will are long gone by the 3rd day into the new year. We flock back to the daily double whether we labor inside or outside of the home. Within minutes, even nanoseconds, the positive effects of vacation seem to have dissipated into thin air. It’s not just our imaginations—the afterglow of vacation is estimated to last a mere hour—and that’s on a good Monday return—before our minds and bodies release the previous flood of stress hormones that surged through us before we beat feet for vacation. Is it any wonder that levels of depression soar in January? Here’s the good news—this year we can keep on giving to those afflicted by the tsunami disaster including the heroes returning from rescue efforts with the victims (who are often afflicted with secondary traumatization from witnessing such terror). When you find yourself plunging to pre-vaca levels where stress makes us stupid or blue, turn on the juice to your computer and visit one of the sites cited by Tom and others that will offer you the chance of a lifetime—to give to those in need, a gift which, as we know, is better than anything we can wait around to get. ‘Tis the season—what do you want to give to feel better?
