Career Advice AUDIO / Self-Management

The Post Holiday Blues

The Post Holiday Blues

Holiday festivities are a whirlwind of activity and schedule fluctuations that can leave you with a case of post holiday blues when it’s all over. That’s why the insight I offer in this audio clip is so important to keep in mind as you manage the first few weeks of the new year.

Post holiday blues, aka holiday hangovers, are a bit more serious than your typical recovery from a night of “a little too much fun.”

The post holiday hangover requires recovery from WEEKS of non-routine behavior.

And it goes beyond the realm of having too much alcohol.

It involves recovery from family interactions, dietary changes, sleep fluctuations, non-typical travel schedules, possible sickness, and children out of school… just to name a few.

It’s why post holiday blues require a little more attention… and a GENTLE self-management protocol.

However, many professionals take the opposite approach.

They put pressure on themselves to “hit the ground running” on January second as they have imagined themselves doing over the last weeks of the previous year.

They have lofty expectations of getting started on the new year’s goals with a fiery motivation and fervor.

And when they encounter the holiday hangover during the first few weeks, they become disappointed with themselves.

They wonder where the excitement has gone and if it will ever return.

If you are one of these people, I want you to know that it is completely normal.

I’ve found that for most people, it takes until around mid-January to really start getting into the work groove again.

A good way to accommodate this extended recovery period is to be gentle with yourself during the first few weeks of the new year.

Give yourself permission to book fewer appointments than usual and to go slowly.

You may even want to write self-care reminders in your calendar for those days.

Giving yourself a little extra consideration during this time will allow you to honor the needs of your body and mind.

It’s a way of affirming that you are willing to take the necessary time for your own needs this year.

And then, you can REALLY get down to business when the new year motivation kicks in.

 


 

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