Post holiday blues: life sucks, work is dumb
My good buddy Amelia recently drew this picture. Judging by the response she got when she posted it on Facebook, it resonated with a lot of people with week-one back to work blues.
So, how can we make life suck less, and for work to be less dumb after an outstanding holiday break? Here are a few ideas to help get you back on the pre-Christmas level.
#1. Get our your calendar out and mark in your holidays PRONTO!
BEFORE planning the rest of the work stuff you have to achieve this year, mark out your fun times ahead and plan around them (that way you’re also less likely to have to cancel a holiday at the last minute due to work deadlines too!). If you don’t have enough exciting things to look forward to in the year, your first big task for this year should be to find some!
For me, my next three months are looking kind of exciting - weekends away for friends weddings, family visiting from overseas, birthday celebrations, camping and road tripping to WOMAD in New Plymouth and more...How are your next three months shaping up?
#2. Chin up, things will get better
You probably don’t REALLY think life sucks, right?? Even a good job is a bit crap compared to a holiday. Yes, compared to lying on the beach, drinking cocktails, hanging out with friends, new year celebrations, enjoying the sun (depending where you were!) and having time to do all the things you’ve wanted to for a while, yes, work can be a bit hard to get use to again...
#3 Reassess your life.
If you find yourself truly unhappy and unfulfilled when you're back at work, perhaps you're not just missing your holiday days and there is something else wrong (maybe Amelia’s picture didn’t represent how you felt pre-Christmas about your job anyway?). If you’re nodding your head, you may want to consider making changes to feel happier. But, give yourself time. Don’t make any rash decisions - you may find things settle down when you are back into your work routine.
Now might also be a good time to inject some change into your work life to get back your love for your job - can you change your routine, negotiate different hours, focus on projects that you know will give you energy? Or, start the job hunt for something new...
#4. Get a beautiful diary.
Infinite possibilities for me and my diary in 2017...
Ok, so this might just be one that works for me, but having some nice new, fresh stationery at the start of the work year gets me a bit energised. Ooh, what will the pages ahead hold? I got a beauty of a diary from Frank Stationery, and it’s full of inspiring words for the year ahead too (and gives an extra notebook to kids in need at school).
#5. Find something to look forward to in the first week(s) back.
It might be meeting friends for lunch or after work drinks. But you could also have made a resolution to try something new this year. Take up a new hobby, learn that new language you said you would, or join a class that you have meant to for a while – give yourself that great sensation of doing something for the first time!
The great things about coming back from Christmas holidays in New Zealand is that there are usually lots of exciting summer things to look forward to. Check out what your local summer council programme looks like (I can’t wait for films under the stars and music in the park in Welly!) or organise some outdoor activities. Make plans for the coming long weekends (anniversary day, Waitangi day and Easter are just around the corner) and find ways to enjoy the, slightly predictable, nicer weather we get after the holiday has long gone.
#6. Mini breaks
Can’t function without the mid-afternoon holiday shut-eye? How about instead taking a walk at lunchtime, sitting in the sun, or if you still can't do it, close your eyes for a quick managers nap.
#7. Create time for yourself to do the things YOU love
It might be a bit of yoga, a massage, taking long walks or anything that might help give you perspective on your life.
Hopefully, this helps to make that curve start to head uphill and make January a joy, by reframing your thinking. Remember, you are in charge of your life and that hopefully, this feeling shall pass. Plus, Easter, another reason to eat chocolate again, is just around the corner...
What are your tips to beating the post-holiday blues? Let us know in the comments below.
