5 Tips to Help You Transition Back to Work After the Holidays.
It's never easy to get back into the swing of things after a break. Even if you're revved and rearing to go for a dynamic 2023, there is an adjustment period. Here are some things to consider to ease yourself into reality again:
Allow for adjustment time.
To expect yourself to operate at full steam immediately is unrealistic. I'm not saying don't make an effort, or it can't be done, but it's almost as if your mind and body are not quite in sync. For me, it feels as if I'm operating five minutes slower than usual.
You are not lazy or unmotivated – you are exactly where you should be. Listen to your body and give yourself space to ramp up to hit the ground running.
What I would suggest is to create a cut-off date for yourself. Allow yourself a set amount of time to indulge in the post-holiday stagger, and then it's time to get back to reality. If you stay in the post-holiday lull too long, you will get left behind.
Don't do what you feel like, but what will make you feel good.
Don't wait to feel like it, no matter what the 'it' is for you.
Don't wait to feel like reading.
Don't wait to feel like training/running/walking.
Don't wait to feel like meditating.
Don't wait to feel like planning.
Don't wait to feel like organising your house.
If you focus on how you feel right now, you'll convince yourself you're tired and should lie in bed for that extra hour.
Instead, shift your focus on how you will feel afterwards. If you commit to exercising, think about how good you will feel once you've completed your session. Or consider how awful you will feel if you break the agreement with yourself.
Your mind is full of excuses and will hypnotise you into instant gratification; you can't feel your way into inspiration. Inspiration shows up when you're in action – runners don't get runner's block; they get on the road and run.
Writers convince themselves of writer's block because they are waiting for the bolt of passion and inspiration to arrive before they allow themselves to write. The secret to being a great writer is to show up and write. Anything. Something. And eventually, you will find your flow.
If writing is not your thing, then fill in the blank. You will find your flow when you start doing it.
Focus on the system.
New Year's has a predictable pattern; you're inspired to reflect on your life and commit to change. Your new habit starts well and tends to trail off around the third week. Why? The habit cannot be sustained without a system to support it. Without the correct foundation, you will rely on willpower and motivation to push you through.
As you ease into the new year, put your energy into creating a system and start as small as possible. This is not new knowledge, but the practice is rock solid.
If you want to start the day with a mindfulness practice like yoga or meditation, you can introduce the system of spending the first five to ten minutes on one of these practices. It's not how long you meditate but that you ingrain the practice of going to your mat first thing rather than checking your phone. Once the system is locked in, you can begin to expand the action, so eventually, you have built up to ten minutes.
Remember not to allow how you feel to influence your decisions on whether to do it or not.
I train consistently throughout the year and have a great system to maintain this. I travelled to the USA in December, and when I returned to South Africa, I had to reinvent this system. I'm active on holiday, so it wasn't that I was starting again physically, but now I was dealing with jet lag, and my sleeping patterns and entire routine were out.
The research says exercise is an excellent way to help your body adjust. The only way to begin again was to show up at the gym. It didn't matter what time I went or how long I went for but to create the system of going. I can tell you I didn't feel like it, but I knew I had to start somewhere.
I dreaded going because I imagined how hard it would be and how tired I would feel. As Seneca says, we suffer more in imagination than in reality. It was hard getting myself there, but once I walked in, I instantly felt better.
Exposure is the antidote to anxiety; to set up a system for your new habit, you need to show yourself you can do it and that your imagined feelings never even materialise.
The success of your system also depends on your environment. You may have created the system of a morning walk, but if your environment conflicts with your goals, you won't sustain it.
Your environment must set you up for success. If you want to be healthier, eliminate the chocolates and junk food. Remove the unwanted temptations; this is both in your virtual and physical environment. Delete the apps that suck you in, like socials or delete Uber eats if you're trying to curb excessive spending.
If you want to start exercising, leave your clothes out. If you want to read more or study, keep a book on your bed and download all the documents you need with the relevant user names and passwords to maximise your time slot. (this should all be scheduled in your calendar, so you know when and where you will do it).
Make an effort
On the days you don't feel like making an effort for yourself, that's when you need it most. You will feel better when you take extra time to choose something besides your tracksuit or pyjamas. Ladies put on some make-up even if you are only going to get groceries; I promise you it will add a little spark inside.
Remember, you still need to see the outside world, so at least project the image of being ready to tackle the new year strong.
Be present.
It's easy to get lost thinking about how quickly the holiday went. If you stay stuck in how you miss those gentle days, you can't be present for what's needed of you now. It also keeps you in a mode of resentment and resistance because you are focusing on what's missing.
If I reflect on my holiday, what stood out most was how present I was. Being present allowed me to savour whatever I was doing, no matter how simple.
Why not bring the same level of attention to what you're doing? Practice being present in your meetings, emails, and tasks, so it doesn't feel like Groundhog day again. Anxiety shows up when you are too future-focused or trying to control your world.
Bring the same level of awareness for your personal life; truly listen in conversations. It's so easy to get sucked into the hustle of the work that you forget how important it is to put down what you're doing and give the other person your full attention.
If you stay stuck in the past or venture into the future, you cannot enjoy today.
Final thoughts.
This year belongs to the most focused and non-distracted; to gain this clarity and energy, give yourself some space to get your mindset in gear so you can make this year successful on your terms.
These practices are not exclusive to January but habits that will serve you throughout the year as we all experience periods where our energy levels ebb and flow.
Allow for adjustment time.
Don't do what you feel like, but what will make you feel good.
Focus on the system.
Make an effort.
Be present.
Here's to making 2023 everything you want it to be,
Warm wishes
Lori