Wow, is it still 2020? I feel like this has been the year that’s lasted forever yet it’s actually 2022… I remember when we all started baking sourdough bread and creating TikTok videos to pass the time thinking this was only going to last a month tops. Now we’re three years in and have to come to terms that this is now our “new normal.” But on top of all the crazy pandemic chaos, we’ve started a new year… I don’t know about you but as much as I want to jump into the year with a fresh start often I feel very overwhelmed by the prior year and fall into a slump instead. So how do I get myself back on track and out of my funk to start the year right?
Self Care
I’ve started with self-care. Of course, this comes as no surprise because I have prioritized mental health a lot these past three years, from dealing with family during the holidays to decompressing after I think doing a little self-care post-January 1st is so important.
The holidays start in November and I feel like it’s go go go travel, and do so much that after it’s all over its a bit of a shock to the system. So the most important thing to do is do some things for yourself. If you’re still visiting with family make some time for alone time. Start a new podcast. Of course, I love a good true crime but lately have also been loving some self-help podcasts like Jay Shetty’s to get me in the right mindset. For self-care, I love to take a relaxing bath or a walk around the neighborhood for some alone time. Getting away and doing some things on your own can be so empowering and relaxing. I also have been trying to do more journaling, goal setting, and of course blogging because it brings me joy.
Morning and Night Routine
2021 I spent a lot of time traveling back and forth to Charlotte, North Carolina. With the way, the world has been and my fortunate work situation it made the most sense for me to travel for my relationship but because of all the travel, my morning and night routine was a bit of a mess. While at home in Chicago I would wake up, play my podcasts while getting read in the morning, run errands around the neighborhood between meetings if my to-do list was long. Having all my camera equipment and of course, closets made it easier to get content filmed. In the evenings I would take some kind of workout class as often as possible. I love working out in the evenings and find that it helps me sleep better if I do.
This year and especially post-holidays, I want to prioritize creating routines for myself, including one for the time I’m in Charlotte. Perfecting my skincare routine, and even trying to make more time to cook dinner each night will not only feed my body more healthily but will also create consistency in my day.
Get Creative
After months of traveling, spending time with family, and end-of-the-year work projects I feel like our creative outlets can get away from us. Post-holidays I think it’s important to give yourself a chance to get back to your creative outlets. Even if it’s a little bit of time to write every day, picking up your camera more, or as I did taking more time out of my day to blog or create content for Instagram.
Have something to look forward to
Time off for Thanksgiving, Friday after Thanksgiving, Christmas eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s day, for the last three months we’ve all had a bunch of time off sprinkled throughout the weeks creating short weeks. It can be really hard to stay motivated week after week with nothing to look forward to. Post-holidays are the perfect time to create some plans to look forward to. Talk to friends or your significant other and try to get some kind of trip, and event maybe a concert or a broadway show on the books that way you have something to look forward to in the future.
Schedule some short weeks
Another great way to have something to look forward to is to break up your January and February with some days off. We spent the last two months with a couple 4 day weeks so to break up some very long months take some time off to recoup, for self-care or travel.
Set Post Holiday a Budget
It’s inevitable we spend a lot more money around the holidays. Dinners out to celebrate friends, travel to visit family, and gifts for loved ones. So to cleanse and give your bank account a break start the year off right by reassessing your budget. For 2022 one of my new year’s resolutions is to be more conscious of my spending and be more strategic about what I spend my money on. The new year is oftentimes a time when people also get raises and promotions at work so taking a look at your expenses and your new salary is a great way to make sure you’re spending within your means and can take care of any debts you may have.
If you’re looking for some ways to get yourself out of the post-holiday slump I highly suggest scheduling that trip, pulling out that creative project that got put on the back burner and taking some time for yourself. Decompressing from the holidays and starting the new year out right can be challenging but it doesn’t have to burn you out. What are you doing to shake the post holiday blues?