The festive season is always a thrill. Social events, family nights and relaxed evenings, this season always feels warm and full of excitement. While the holiday season is in full swing, it is normal to get caught up in the blur of joy.
However, when the warmth of holiday festivities and gatherings ends, the reality of post-holiday season responsibilities sets in. As a result, many find themselves feeling blue, mourning the end of the festive season, and feeling anxious for the upcoming New Year. The sharp transition from festive joy to reality can be daunting and leave us overwhelmed and caught in a blur that is difficult to get out of.
It is innate that as we approach the end of the year and begin ending our festivities, we can not help but begin taking stock of our year and creating an inherently judgemental New Year scorecard. Looking through a sharp lens, we judge our year on what we did, achieved, became and saw.
Leaving this process feeling underwhelmed, we take this energy into the New Year. Already daunted for what is to come, any subsequent talk of resolutions and goals invariably means we focus on our shortcomings.
Inundated with “year-in-review” stories, the promises of a New Year and the talks of resolutions and goals, it is understandable that most of us enter a New Year already feeling overwhelmed and anxious. Here at GirlDreamer, we know this feeling all too well. Having experienced all of the dread, despair and angst a New Year can bring, we have learnt how to channel this period of transition into an experience that offers joy, excitement and thrill. Below are our top tricks to overcome the New Year blues and ensure you start your year right!
Enter With a Routine
When the holiday season is in full swing, our normal routine is lost. With longer nights, later rises, social events and the life catch up in between it all, it’s normal to get caught in a blur. Losing the normalcy of routine, we forget what day it is and what our normal every day looks like. As a result, when the festive season is over and we are back with a New Year, going back to work and our routines feel almost impossible. We begrudgingly return to work and our normal every day feeling exhausted. The return to our mundane routines of work and life following a break contributes to how low and miserable we feel following the new year. With nothing to look forward to, darker and shorter days and a holiday season that probably didn’t live up to our expectations, being thrust back to our normal routine feels like a cruel punishment that leaves us anxious, overwhelmed and out of alignment just as a new year has begun.
To overcome this, we encourage entering the New Year with a routine already implemented. Now, we’re not saying you have to wake up at 6 am, get 10,000 steps in by 9 am, and be in bed by 8 pm, all whilst being active and present in holiday festivities.
We mean implement small steps and changes so that when the New Year begins and our routines are busier and more demanding, the return to normalcy won’t feel like a leap. Whether it is going to sleep a bit earlier, regularly moving your body with a walk or quick yoga session or going to bed at a reasonable time, these small steps will help keep your body and mind engaged over a period where we typically let loose. Reestablishing a small part of your routine while on a festive break not only helps restore a sense of normalcy but also boosts motivation and productivity as you ease back into routine in the New Year.
Make a Plan
While on a break enjoying all of the festivities and joy of the season, it can be daunting to think about resuming our lives in the New Year. Thinking about the normalcy and routine we have to get back to is anxiety-inducing, especially when we have to account for the new goals and resolutions we want to achieve.
To overcome the dread and angst this can bring, we encourage making a plan. Making a plan while enjoying the festive season can fill you with optimism and hope and ensure that you go into the New Year feeling excited. Whether it is a general idea of the life you want and the routine you think will get you there or it’s a detailed 20-step plan with regular checkpoints and established routines, making a plan will ensure that you feel certain about the steps you need to take, motivating you to push through when it’s difficult to do so.
Be Realistic
Entering a new chapter is always a joy. The endless possibilities, opportunities, and excitement are thrilling to think about. Entering a new year always feels like this. With a whole new year to do what we want and achieve our goals, it is exciting to think about what is to come.
However, while we are in the fog of festivity and the joy of our holiday break, it is vital we remain practical in what we want in the New Year. Too often, we are overly ambitious with our New Year goals and resolutions, and as a result, when we are unable to achieve them, we spiral and fall into despair. Therefore, it is vital that as we enter a New Year and look to make it an incredible one, we are realistic with what we want and how we plan to achieve it. Ensuring our goals and resolutions are realistic allows us to stick with them and make tangible change and growth that can actually be measured. We avoid unnecessary steps and vague, difficult resolutions and make room for the goals and plans that will actually create the life we want.
Being realistic also means we do not fall apart or despair when our plans do not come together as expected. We remain patient and act with understanding, allowing us to regroup and move forward with perseverance and hope.
Celebrate Every Win
A new year offers a fresh start. New beginnings, routines, opportunities and more, and as we enter a New Year, it is easy to fall into a redundant pattern of moving on without acknowledging how far we have come.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and the sharp return to normalcy and routine, it feels like there’s not enough time to catch your breath. As a result, you might move on to the next thing without taking a minute to look around and enjoy where you are and all that you have achieved. Moving on abruptly and without celebration can leave you in a fog and result in burnout.
So, an easy way to counteract feelings of despair and sadness is to celebrate every win. Find joy in every small accomplishment, and take a moment to celebrate your growth and journey. Doing this will ensure your motivation remains strong and that you are eager to embrace and begin new opportunities because you know that you will celebrate yourself and all that you have done.
A new year offers the perfect opportunity to embrace new possibilities and create the year you want. Entering with a routine, making a realistic plan and celebrating every win will ensure you harness the excitement and thrill of a New Year and are able to move forward with motivation and joy, creating a fulfilling and successful year.
