Quick Ways to Fight the Inevitable Post-Holiday Slump

This year was a great example of starting slowly because, for many, the first work day of 2019 fell on a Wednesday. But it’s OK if you need more time. Pace yourself. Trying to complete the impossible task of replying to hundreds of messages and starting new projects in the first week back can be overwhelming. So take a day from your “personal days” or “vacation” bank and ease yourself back into the regular routine.

You’re not going to get out of that slump if you have no energy. Sleep is seriously underrated — one in three adult Americans are sleep-deprived. If you don’t get enough ZZZs, you could experience brain fog and an inability to focus, think clearly, and learn, as well as more physical signs, such as sallow skin and puffy eyes.

It’s the little things that make you happy, right? So make your morning coffee extra sweet — or extra bitter if that’s your thing — and have two donuts, instead of one. (If you made New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, you probably know that going cold turkey is a terrible idea anyway.) If you like listening to music, go wild and play some at the office (but use your headphones, of course).

This doesn’t have to contradict the tip to get enough sleep. Just go to bed even earlier. It may help you to catch up on emails and work without being distracted by colleagues’ never-ending stories about how “awesome” their holidays were. Once you get into your groove, few things will be able to divert your attention.

You may have the kind of job that requires you to meet a lot of people in person or via Skype. Make sure you don’t overcommit. Your first few days back are guaranteed to be very busy. Keep that in mind when you put an hour-long interview on your calendar. Trying to cram in too many duties will surely make you feel overwhelmed. If you have to submit reports by a certain deadline, make it next week.

Contrary to popular belief, alcohol does not make you sleep better. You may fall asleep faster but you won’t get as much REM sleep, which is the restful stage of the sleep cycle, and is also the kind the really counts. In addition, side effects of alcohol include sleepiness and a lack of focus.

Caffeine is not much better. If you drink it in the morning to wake you up, why would you drink it at night? Some studies have found evidence that caffeine taken as much as six hours before bedtime has a significant disruptive effect. Caffeine, which is a stimulant, is among the biggest enemies of sleep, blocking sleep-inducing chemicals in the brain.

Why do people buy souvenirs when they go on vacation? In addition to giving them as dust-collecting presents, people also like to be reminded of what a wonderful time they had. The same logic applies to bringing something to work that reminds you of the holiday season. It can provide a quick mental break from your hectic schedule.

Whatever works, right? If doing your job well means spending time thinking of where you’d rather be, so be it. In all seriousness, planning time off has been associated with increased happiness. Don’t underestimate the power of anticipation. It makes you happier and more likely to control your impulses, as some research suggests.

You just can’t escape the fitness craze starting the new year. If you don’t exercise for your physical health, do it for your mental health. Go for a walk during your lunch break or, better yet, go to the gym or the park for a quick workout. It will help improve your mood, relieve stress, reduce fatigue, and increase alertness, according to research. That could help you get through the day quicker.

As if you needed another reason to take a walk…What’s better: taking a few five-minute breaks or sitting in front of your computer for hours working on a goal-oriented project that you’ll have to spend even more time on fixing as a result of being overwhelmed because you didn’t take any breaks? Relaxing breaks help with productivity and creativity, prevent decision fatigue, and restore motivation.

The reason you can’t get anything done may have nothing to do with the holidays; it may be because of your messy desk. Clutter is killing your focus, according to a study conducted by the Princeton University Neuroscience Institute. The chaos around you provides too much visual stimuli, making it difficult to process information.