So, here we are, mid-January 2019, just starting off and getting back into our everyday routine. Holidays are over, office parties are long gone, only winter is still here. We know it wasn’t easy getting back to work and it will take some adjustments. That is why the topic of our today’s post is a common one during this time of year – the dreaded post-holiday blues in the office and how to overcome it? This is an especially important topic in the month of January, after Christmas and New Year festivities, so let’s see what we can do about it, particularly in the work environment.
We get it, it’s not easy going back after realizing there is no such thing as a permanent holiday. Still, there are some tips and tricks that could help ease you into your everyday work routine. We by no means say you should and must follow each and every advice here, you could just choose those that you feel can help you and make you more productive. What are some of the things you can do to avoid any post-holiday blues symptoms?
Let’s say you had a great vacation during holidays and you used that free time to travel and experience new things. That will actually be of great help in those first days at work. Holiday memories are to be cherished and relived, so do that! Enjoy your holiday pictures with other family members and friends, share your videos with others and just have fun with it. When you go back to work, exchange holiday stories with your co-workers, it will prolong that festive feeling in the office. And, not just that, it will help bring you closer and working and functioning better as a team. Holidays may be over, but the holiday mood can stay there for a bit longer, right?
Also, souvenirs are excellent personal mementos that are there to remind you it’s ok to stop for a while and just enjoy life. Choose some souvenirs or holiday memories or photos and bring them with you to work. They will be a great addition to your working space, but also they will serve as a great memory and a great boost for your upcoming travels and holidays. Personal items are always a welcomed part of your desk/cubicle/working area in general, they keep your spirits up and add to a good office mood.
As we’ve said, post-holiday interactions with your co-workers can have many benefits, so talk about holidays and share your memories, this will be a great transition into your everyday activities at the office.
Another thing that might help you is to start slowly right after going back to work. First, start with old tasks that you didn’t finish right before the holidays. It will provide you with a sense of normality. Sure, you might feel tempted to jump right into some new and exciting projects, but take your time and you will see it will make you a lot more productive and excited for what is to come as far as work goes in the new year. So, focus on doing what you know how to do and what will require the least amount of time. By doing so, you will truly boost your confidence. Remember, take it one step at a time and you won’t regret it.
Another thing to keep in mind, holidays and vacations can leave you with a new perspective. And when you go back to work refreshed and relaxed, maybe you will look at some ideas and projects with a new set of eyes. Exciting, right? Maybe you felt frustrated with a task you were given or a project you’ve been working on just before the holidays because you couldn’t make it work at that time. Well, after being away for a while, you can look at everything differently and possibly offer a new perspective. Hey, sometimes you just need time away to get a little jumpstart on your work. It may not seem like that the first day you’re back, but after a while, you will see just how more productive and effective you are after taking a little break and enjoying some time with your family and friends.
Since we’re on the topic of taking small breaks, here is another tip to ease your January in the office – take small breaks during the day. If you go into full work-mode without any breaks it could potentially be a recipe for burnout. Be kind to yourself and remember that you deserved to go on holidays and that it takes some time to recover from it. Here we don’t’ mean you shouldn’t work at all, of course not, we just suggest taking about a five or ten-minute break every three to four hours to decompress and relax. Right now this may seem like an impossible task, but trust us, you’ll make it through.
So, there you go, we tried to dig deeper into the dreaded topic of post-holiday time in the office – January edition. As we’ve seen, there are some things you could do to make this transition period in January as easy as possible. The key idea is to take your time, focus on one thing at a time, give yourself the right to take small breaks during the day, enjoy and reminisce your holiday memories with your co-workers, and find the beauty in looking at your work tasks and projects with a new and refreshed set of post-holiday eyes. It may not be easy, but you will find yourself even more productive and excited about everything that this new work year has to offer.
And, in case you were wondering, no, we didn’t forget our offices and all the care they need after holidays and holiday breaks. In our next post, we will discuss what this post-holiday time has in store for office cleaning and maintenance, another extremely important topic at this time of year. So, be ready, 2019 is here, let’s make it the best one yet!
