All of us are in a sense creatures of habit and become accustomed to our daily rhythms. We maintain a pattern of movements and keep the hours that work the best for us personally. The holidays take our daily structure and productive habits and shake them like a snow globe. Add into that eating every manner of treat, increased alcohol consumption at holiday parties and family gatherings, the stress of crowds, shopping, upset children, in-laws, travel, etc. etc. etc….. It’s exhausting.
So, how do we get ourselves back on track after all of that has settled down? How do we “reset” so we can get back to work and make ourselves as productive as possible as soon as possible? Here are a few actionable tips to merge yourself back onto the work freeway and push the accelerator to the floor:
Get moving
Exercise will clean out the cobwebs and get you reenergized. Get yourself out on a run, to the gym, a brisk walk in the morning, clean up the house, shovel some snow. Anything that gets the blood pumping and your momentum moving forward.
Drink water
Whether you’ve been indulging yourself with the eggnog at the company party or bourbons with your brother-in-law or nights out with your sorority sisters, it’s time to give your liver and kidneys a break and rehydrate your organs. Yes, your skin will thank you and your brain is holding a parade.
Get your inbox to zero
Coming back from the holidays often means having an Everest of email to climb. It might feel like punishment for having taken time off. Never fear however, with a few tips and a couple pointers and some diligence you can avoid the hurricane.
Do one thing at a time
Feeling overwhelmed is inevitable. There’s almost no way around it. You don’t climb a mountain in one leap. That’s impossible. It’s best to get back into your flow by going step by step. By breaking the mass of work into pieces and moving methodically, one task at a time, you’ll soon look back and realize you’re nearly up that mountain.
Remember what you’re working for
Hopefully you are just coming back from a holiday season that you spent in the warm embrace of friends and loved ones. Remember how important those people and the experiences with them are to your life. That will put a smile back your face and be a tangible reminder why it is you work so hard in the first place.
If you can’t get away from work over the holidays check out these helpful tips to stay on track.