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Adjusting to the regular rhythm of life is quite the task when you have resumed work after the holidays. Your body is battling drowsiness and the general feeling of laziness. All that is playing in your mind are the moments you created during holidays and how you indulged in the food and awesome conversations.
At the same time, you had enough time to sleep and you mentally miss that comfort. This is very distracting and you find yourself zoning out regularly while at work. In primary school, one of my teachers would always get angry when he noticed that pupils weren’t paying attention. He complained of what he termed as “physically present but mentally absent” students.
January is one of the toughest months for people because of the holiday hangover. December 2021 was a holiday like no other because the year before people were limited by the dusk to dawn Covid curfew.
The rhythm of work after the holidays
Settling into the rhythm of work and bringing your mind to full productivity isn’t easy. It takes time and effort especially when the memories keep playing in your mind like a playback tune. You can call them January blues, similar to the Monday blues.
Monday blues is a phenomenon that has been spoken about the world over. Different artists and poets have used their creative prowess to capture the feeling of returning to the grind after an eventful weekend.
Similarly, that’s how January feels but on a larger scale. In December people close work for at least two weeks and travel upcountry for the village experience. This is usually ideal because you meet family and catch up with them and also have a nice time to rekindle friendships with childhood friends. It’s a very welcome break from the brutal fast-paced life in the city and urban areas.
So how do you deal with these blues?
Quick solutions for surviving work after the holidays
1. Go for fresh air outside
Daylight and sun have been proven to have a positive effect on human emotions. Limited sunlight exposure sometimes causes someone to feel depressed. It ultimately impacts how your brain regulates sleeping cycles and helps you relax more.
2. Try something new
When you’re in a comfort zone or what your mind is used to, you easily get distracted. Your comfort zone could be represented by sitting in the same place at work. It could also be following the same routine both at home and at work just after the holidays.
Switch things up by at least looking for a different spot to work from. Hang out with different colleagues of other departments. Get to know other departments which you ordinarily would not be interested in. According to Mark Wilkinson of Coburgbanks, comfort zones cause stagnation and inhibit development.
Switch up your daily routine, use a route to work that you have never used before. Look for different templates to draft your reports and so many other things. These strategies will help keep your brain occupied and focused even as you grow. The blues that plague people in January will be a thing of the past.
3. Make use of the weekends
This is about keeping your endorphins (pleasure hormones) flowing. Plan a getaway at least during one weekend to just have fun. When you have something good to look forward to your endorphins will keep flowing in January.
It effectively eliminates the feeling of hopelessness and lethargy that grips you as you go through this adjustment period.
4. Self-reflection
You’re back to reality in January after enjoying a break from the grind and the stress that comes with it. This is the best time to reflect on your life, your past, present, and where you want to go.
Evaluate what could make you happier and more fulfilled in life. At the same time, aim at growth and progress in your career and also how you handle your relationships at work. During this period people draft resolutions and personal goals for the year.
Think about every facet of your life such as your health, how you handle your money, your character, your habits, your social circles, your career, family, and many more.
When you write your plans on paper, you need to get to the action. The feeling of new challenges will serve as a new impetus to walk into your new year and get back to your normal rhythm.
Along with that add your worries, stresses, and anxieties. We all have something that makes us anxious. Mental health experts recommend that you write them down. This will help you translate the negative energy and look for solutions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from a friend or a professional.
5. Keep your mental health in check
Don’t ignore your mental health and the state of your mind. 2021 showed us the devastating effects of ill mental health. Evaluate your mental health by asking yourself honest questions. And take the time to answer them. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) here is a small guide to the questions you can ask:
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How would I describe my mood overall?
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Has my level of stress and/or anxiety changed recently?
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What strategies do I use to manage a low mood and/or anxiety when they come up?
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Are the strategies healthy and are they working?
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How am I functioning in my relationships, family, and work? Particularly work after the holidays.
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Do I find pleasure in the things I usually find pleasurable?
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Am I finding problems with memory, confusion, or concentration?
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Have I had any thoughts of wanting to hurt or kill myself or someone else of late?
If your answers to these questions reveal that you're not well, talk to your boss about your mental health.
6. Be accountable
Doing life alone is hard enough. That’s why you need to have a supportive social circle. These could be close friends and family. Find people with who you can hold each other accountable concerning how you tackle the individual challenges that you face.
Accountability partners will keep you on course in the pursuit of your goals and dreams. Sometimes due to changing moods and emotions, we lose track and get distracted. But a good support system keeps you grounded so that you don’t lose your trajectory.
In aviation, they say that if the pilot deviates by just one degree the plane will end up missing its ultimate destination.
7. Be active, Infuse exercise
This is a cliché that many people have heard more than one million times. We regularly promise ourselves and even include it in our list of resolutions. Exercise goes together with changing your diet to a healthier one.
When you observe people’s social media handles, they talk about how they plan on cutting their weight. This requires action. Plan to actually work out and do regular exercises. Don’t start too intensively because you will give up along the way.
Science has proven that exercise releases endorphins which are responsible for making you feel better. There is no denying that exercise is involved. However, all that perspiration and high metabolism will eliminate the feeling of being lazy and having low moods. That’s one of the best ways to tackle lethargy.
Conclusion
It takes a lot of intentionality to successfully tackle the January blues but the most important thing to remember is that it’s possible. Secondly, it’s a passing phase. Thirdly it’s also comforting to remember that you’re not facing this challenge alone. It’s a universal challenge therefore be strong and don’t give up.