system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: what happens after a recession

What needs to happen to get out of one? What happens after?
gpt
A recession is defined by when the economy shrinks (less economic activity is happening) for an extended period of time, often 6 months. To get out of one, the economy needs to stop shrinking and start growing again. Because of they way economists define it, you can only really know you're in a recession after it's happened, and you can only know it's over after it's already recovered. 

Afterwards, things generally go back to the way they were before.