How to stay mentally well and motivated in “the New Year slump”

The holidays are done, your time off is up, and it’s back to the grind. For some this is an exciting time; they’ve made their new year’s resolutions, their day planner is filled to the nines, and they’re ready to take on 2017. Well, good for them but let’s be real, that’s not how we all feel.

When the lovely veil of holiday magic has been lifted and the nasty realm of reality comes into plain view many of us suffer from the New Year slump-basically this means that we feel a little unready, nervous or anxious, and all around unmotivated to tackle the challenges that are sure to present themselves in 2017.

But hey, that’s okay!

All you really need is a little change of perspective and maybe a few good tips to help you get over that dreaded slump and put you in a better mindset-a mindset that is ready to kick 2017’s…butt.

Don’t worry, we’ve got your covered! We’ve decided to put together a few ways to help you stay mentally well and motivated in “the New Year Slump”!

Enjoy a few minutes of peace and quiet everyday

You might feel as though you need to go, go, go, but slowing down and taking a few minutes of quiet each and every day is one of the most effective ways to calm the mind and the nervous system. Take some time to enjoy your favourite cup of coffee or tea, indulge in 30 minutes of daily reading, practice some early morning yoga, and simply just sit quietly with your eyes closed, visualizing what a wonderful day lies ahead for you. It’s important not to overwhelm yourself, even if your to-do list is as long as your arm-everything in moderation.

Plan your week

If you’re anything like us, a day planner is your best friend. A good way to keep yourself on track and motivated to tackle what could be a long week ahead of you is to plan for it! Instead of jumbling up all those tasks and to-do’s in your mind and overwhelming yourself to the point of tears, break it down one by one.

We bet you’ll find it very helpful to know ahead of time what your day is going to look like so that you can mentally prepare and remind yourself that yes, you can do it!

Eat breakfast

“I don’t have time in the morning for breakfast”, “I don’t need breakfast”, “I’m not hungry”- yeah, we’ve heard ‘em all and we’re sticking with our response: EAT IT. There’s a reason that people refer to breakfast as the most important meal of the day, because it’s true. It’s important to eat a little something in the morning to help you stabilize your blood sugar levels and give you that little bit of fuel to help pump you through your day. Try it out, you’ll be surprised at how much more alert, energized, and surprisingly motivated you’ll feel throughout your day instead of dwelling in that early morning brain fog.

Get moving

We know that not everyone likes to “move it move it”, but trust us, it’s important not just for your physical wellbeing but for your mental one as well. Now we’re not saying that you need to hit the gym every day for two hours and pump iron, but a little bit of daily exercise has been shown to help lower anxiety, increase focus and energy levels, and reduce stress; sounds pretty great, doesn’t it? Get up, shake it, move it, do what feels good to help you feel ready to conquer the day!

Smile

Before you laugh at how cheesy this sounds (and yes, we know it does), take a minute to think about it. A simple smile can bring on feelings of happiness and joy, as well as releasing that feel-good hormone serotonin that we all know and love. Life is hectic, we all know that, but when you find yourself frantically rushing through it and experiencing feelings of anxiety or stress, try and put a smile on that lovely face of yours and think about something or someone that makes you happy. We guarantee that even just for a few minutes those awful feelings you were experiencing before will melt away and be replaced by some pretty good ones. People say smiles are contagious, try it out.