January can be a tough month for a lot of people. Christmas holidays are over, all the decorations have been taken down and it never fails to surprise us just how bare your home looks. It can take time to adjust after the Christmas period and get back to your usual routine and daily life.
Returning to work after any holiday can bring about ‘holiday blues’, however January seems to be the one month that affects everyone. When looking at why people dislike January, common responses are; ‘the nights are still dark’, ‘there is nothing to look forward to’, ‘I can’t book more time off work for a while’. We’re going to look at a few ways to beat back to work blues and turn what tend to be negatives into positives for the New Year…
Setting Goals
This seems like an obvious one with New Year’s resolutions. However, setting some achievable, positive goals can be good for the mind. Goals do not have to be for the entire year – try setting one just for the month of January then set a new goal each month. These can be goals for both in and outside of work.
Eating Good = Feeling Good
Lets face it, we all love Christmas being an excuse to eat chocolate and mince pies every day. This over indulging in rich, high sugar foods will inevitably make you feel tired, sluggish and unmotivated, which is not going to help with going back to the 9-5 routine. Start making little changes to breakfast, lunch and dinner to include foods that will boost your energy and provide a more balanced diet. Going to the extreme of dieting in January might cause you to go back to old eating habits sooner.
Take Breaks
Your first day back at work will most likely be a bit busy, catching up on emails (and catching up with colleagues) but to make sure you don’t burn yourself out, it’s good practice to take breaks. Taking regular short breaks during the working day gives your mind and eyes a chance to rest from computer screens/laptops/tablets. Having a break away from your screen will also help keep you refreshed and prevent poor posture and slouching at your desk.
Sleep
If you have been having late nights over Christmas, it’s beneficial to ease back into your normal sleep routine. Getting an early night before your first day back might not cut it, it may take the first week of work to get back in to going to bed early, but it’s worth it. A good sleep will hopefully stop the afternoon drowsiness, making the days drag – which will not help getting through January!
Don’t get caught up in other people’s blues
Yes, some people will be disappointed that the holidays are over, but surrounding yourself with negative energy will only be detrimental to your own mental health. Focus on the positives that are to come with the New Year and the goals that you want to achieve. You’ll be surprised at how much a positive attitude will help carry you through the month.
Written by our Hannah Greaves, Recruitment Consultant.
