From slippers to loafers, sweats to suits, and sunscreen to shaving cream, returning to work after an extended hiatus can be the hardest! The holiday season presents workers across the globe with a unique opportunity to slow down and smell the roses. Need to reconnect with yourself? Go ahead! Missing the family due to too much routine? Enjoy their company to its fullest! Hoping for something a little recreational? Take out a book, visit the ski resort, or play some cards. While holidays present their own set of challenges, the yearly retreat from the daily grind allows for clearer heads and stronger hearts upon returning to routine. But moving past the gifts the season has to give can be a doozy of a challenge. How can we navigate this oasis in time in a way that is conducive to our work productivity, while maintaining our well-being?
Post-Holiday Blues
Have you ever felt a sense of loneliness after returning to work? Perhaps you know someone who appears unhappy at this time of year, or you are present in frequent company meetings called for the sake of managing expectations. You’re certainly not alone! A recent survey revealed that post-holiday blues affect two thirds of Americans, and can include symptoms such as sadness, loneliness, fatigue, disappointment, sluggishness, mental distress, or even dread of the upcoming winter months. With the blues dominating our hearts, minds, and offices, how do we exit the holiday season while still fulfilling their original purpose: clearing our heads and strengthening our hearts?
Maintaining Mental Health
While the blues should typically dissipate in a matter of days, it’s always important to keep a careful watch on your symptoms. Clinical depression is diagnosed after a two week period of depressive symptoms. If the blues persist, experts warn that seeking professional help may be crucial in order to nip the nasty feelings in the bud.
Return to Structure, Structure Your Return
Letting ourselves go on the holidays is part of what makes them special! Whether allowing yourself that extra doughnut, sleeping in, or leaving your watch on the shelf, routine breaking behaviors can be tough to leave behind cold turkey. Instead, we can take the time to scale back our indulgences in a way that will leave us with a smile on our lips.
Holistic Mood Enhancing
A happy body fosters a happy mind! Our body releases “happy hormones” during our time at home with family. Go ahead and fill in the newly created void. Working out, sleeping right, and eating well are measures that are relevant all year round, and particularly so in the winter. Done properly, Self-discipline in these regards can keep your body supplied with whatever it needs to keep making you happy.
Enjoy Challenging Routine? Don’t Stop!
Why should boredom be a given? Despite the challenges and occasional tedium at work, always be prepared to try something new. Learn a language, an instrument, a skill. Meet new people, frequent new places, buy new things. If we are to take something positive from the season into the new year, we can remember that routine can ALWAYS be broken. Boredom can always be challenged.
Perhaps life can always be exciting.