Beat the 'January Blues'

The turkey has been eaten, presents have been opened and we’ve all had far too much mulled wine! With the last of the decorations taken down, it’s back to work.

You will no doubt be waiting for ‘January Blues’ to kick in, but remember, this is only a state of mind.

It’s tough to enter back into work with a positive and enthusiastic attitude after all the festive over indulgence but if you are struggling, take a break and read our tips.

It all starts with a plan...

Plan of action
Often what gets us through the tough times is a light at the end of the tunnel. If you have something to work towards or look forward to, those every day struggles seem a little more manageable. Your 2017 plan can be as big as you like but make it achievable. Ambition is great but you don’t want to set yourself up for a fail.
Your plan could include anything from completing a course your taking to hitting that target at the gym. Think of what would make you really proud to say you have achieved and note it down along with the plan on how you are going to achieve it.

Stay motivated
Once written, you may find some of the goals you set for 2017 are quite long term, so putting markers in the sand allows you to celebrate your progress and stay motivated. Make calendar notes of goal posts throughout the month and further into the year to keep you on track and give you those little boosts when you need them!

Make time to relax
Whether you have been lucky enough to enjoy time off over Christmas or you have worked straight through, you will still find yourself lacking energy in January so it is important you make time to relax. Try not to plan too much in to your weeks throughout January so that after a hard day / week at work, you can relax and reboot.

Embrace January
January is the start of a New Year filled with new possibilities, but if that doesn’t excite you, maybe some of the events in January will? First of all there’s the January sales, for seasoned shoppers this is absolute heaven!
If you are not a shopaholic, perhaps you can celebrate some cultural occasions such as Burns Night or Chinese New Year. You may choose to go to a local event or simply celebrate at home with food and activities to suit the occasion.

Here’s to a happy and healthy 2017 from all of us at Smart 1.