Let’s face it. Returning to work after Christmas break brings out the worst in the most nicest of people. Even Lori from marketing will snap at you for accidentally breathing within a 1 km radius of her.
Post holiday blues are real. Very real. You go from traveling to exotic places on a day to day basis and meeting exotic locals, to the cafe guy down the street who knows your order like the back of his hand and acknowledges your presence with a casual nod.
It went from dancing with Cubans at a local salsa bar and sipping endless rum to smacking the printer because it shat itself after I requested for a double-sided printout. However after barely scraping through the first week I realised that there had to be a way to adjust to this daily grind. If not I was going to send my heart into a full-blown cardiac arrest from the amount of coffee I was consuming on a daily basis to stay motivated.
After copious amounts of sell-reflection I compiled the following list of suggestions to deal with this traumatic period.
- Take on an after work gig
Look as someone who just went from interning to working full-time I know how exhausting the full-time gig is. But you know whats even more soul sucking? Not having anything to look forward to and having a quarterly life-crisis in your mid-twenties. I’ve been in that position and you start to question everything, like if your sneakers really portray your authentic self or are they a mere portrayal of societal media norms that you’ve unknowingly conformed to.
*inhales and exhales slowly*
Its rough. So to avoid reaching this point in life I recommend taking an after work activity. Like an after school activity in highschool. As an example I started Salsa and Bachata dancing two nights a week, which mean my Tuesdays and Wednesdays are fully booked giving me more to look forward to and more feet to step on.
2. Seek therapy
I get it. You’re a tough cookie and you’re mama didn’t raise no b*tch, etc etc. But ever wondered why Ironman had to seek Beth’s help to assist him with withdrawal symptoms because of his drinking problem? That’s because even the toughest of people need help sometimes.
I have a friend who’s a psychologist and often tells me the amount of times she’s had to talk to CEOs out from a state of panic is endless. It happens to the best of us and it doesn’t make you weak.
I started going back to my therapist because I needed clarity at this point in my life. I thought once I was done with university I’d be ‘set’ but nobody tells you that university was level one of a Mario Kart game and that you’d have to spend the rest of your life avoiding the banana peels. Sometimes we slip up and need someone to help us mentally reset. That’s where a therapist comes into play because they offer logical advice when your head is clouded with frustration and confusion.
3. Develop new habits. In small quantities.
Don’t be one of those people that hits the gym for a week straight and then end up kicking back on the couch while your gym charges you reckless amounts for your monthly gym subscription. I don’t know about you but that shit is expensive.
Take up new habits in small doses. For example I’ve started:
- Journaling 3 things I’m grateful for everyday;
- Committed to writing at least a paragraph a day;
- Started learning Spanish via Dualingo.
All in small doses so I don’t overwhelm myself and shave my head like Britney Spears in the spur of the moment.
4. Start planning your next vacation
I saved the best for last. If you know me at all. You know how much I love traveling. While other girls are saving up for that new makeup palette in Sephora, I’m out here trying to figure out if I can get a student discount on my next destination. I’d rather backpack to exotic locations and risk getting food poisoning in Cuba (which did happen by the way) than splurge on heels that’ll have me begging for death himself within the span of an hour.
That’s just me though. But there is something exciting about trying to figure out where your next travel destination is because it gives you something to look forward to, like a patch of sun on a dreary day.
If all else fails. It might be a good idea to take some time-off on the weekends to reflect on your goals for the year. As humans we are constantly evolving and growing, which means that the job that once excited you now evokes a sense of dread from within. At times like these its important to reflect deeply and listen carefully because there is a huge difference between ‘post work-blues’ and a stagnant job.
Strategic Chaos 