Top 10 Tips for Avoiding the Year End Blues

It’s 2018, the run up to Christmas and the countdown to New Year’s Eve has been and gone and it’s back to normality after a festive period which you’re still recovering from. If all you want to do is hibernate and eat your body weight in leftover Christmas chocolate then this article and our top ten tips on avoiding the year end blues should be at the top of your reading list…

Text less & talk more!

Step away from the iPhone and make time for your friends and family. Human interaction is absolutely essential to maintaining a positive mental attitude, especially when it comes to reminiscing of the many nights spent in front of the fire with the Christmas tree up and a packet of M&S mince pies down. Make weekend plans, a lunch date, a walk in the park, anything which gets you out and about. Swap Netflix for your friends and spend some time with those you care about the most.

Exercise.

Work exercise into your schedule and become a self-confessed endorphin junkie. Don’t let the weather put you off, yes, we all know it’s dreary and the temptation to stay under your duvet is the equivalent of having your accounts signed off early on a Friday afternoon, but natural light and fresh air will do you wonders. Step outside with those running shoes on, get your blood pumping, your heart rate up and your body energised.

Everything in moderation.

Take a break from the Baileys and switch those cocktails to mocktails. Attempting to drink your way through January and those year-end reviews is only going to make you feel worse and even with ‘Dry January’ being the main topic of the month year on year, there’s more than one reason why giving up the hard stuff is good for you. Sure, if you end up having a glass of wine here and there, absolutely fine but a boozy bottomless brunch leaving you with a 2-day hangover? Pass!

Refresh your wardrobe.

Think mind, body and soul. We could all do with a wardrobe detox now and then and January could not be a better time of the year to focus on this. Think a refresh of your existing closet without splashing the cash. Let’s face it, who really has the money to splurge in the January sales like they would want to? Our go-to person for the ultimate sartorial makeover is our favourite Wardrobe Doctor Lauren Jobling. She’ll take you from dishevelled to dashing in an afternoon with your existing pieces. And the best part? No credit card required and zero hours navigating your way through the crowds on Oxford Street. 
Contact Lauren here - https://www.wardrobedoc.com

Treat yourself.

Set yourself goals and reward yourself when you’ve reached them. Take a step back and celebrate your successes even if they are only small. We all strive to achieve the next best thing but if we don’t champion or congratulate ourselves, who will? If you’ve hit a personal target, book yourself into your favourite restaurant, take a weekend trip away, spend some time doing the things you love. Working hard is key to a successful career but stay humble and appreciate yourself, that new car will still be there in 6 months. 

Put yourself first.

Abandon the office politics and focus on you. In the words of one of our clients – ‘In conflict, focus on the result you need, not the battle you want. Sometimes it's better to be a defeated winner than a victorious loser.’ It’s easy to get caught up in office politics especially when you’re avoiding your emails like the plague but if there’s going to be anything that makes you hate January than you already do, it’s your intern Kevin explaining in detail how he’s just interrupted Lisa from Marketing and Chris from HR, mid secret-rendezvous in the office basement. Keep your head down and your conscience clear.

You are what you eat.

It’s a proven fact that your appearance (as well as your energy levels) is a direct result of what you put into your body. But it’s January. Green juices and cleansing your system with pureed broccoli or sprinkling kale on anything and everything might seem a way to get over the January blues but if you’re feeling a double cheeseburger at McDonald’s? Treat yourself. The focus is to eat in a way that supports your health without compromising your energy levels or long-term wellbeing. Keep sugar and saturated fat to a minimum and have some emergency snacks ready in your drawer to steer you away from a daily chocolate binge.

Sleep properly!

Eating, exercising and treating your body well when you’re awake is one thing but getting a regular, good night’s sleep is just as essential. If you find it difficult to switch off and ignore your phone when you have emails coming through 24/7, take a look online at the various natural sleep remedies to create a relaxed environment to aid your attempts at drifting into a blissful night’s sleep.

Embrace your spiritual side.

Mix it up and take 20 minutes of each day to focus on your mental wellbeing. There are so many ways to attack this part of your health that will benefit both your mental and physical state including yoga which promotes balance, endurance, flexibility and build strength. Another is meditation which keeps your mind sharp, relieves stress and anxiety and can strengthen your immune system.

Holiday like Richard Branson…

We wish! Indulge in some winter sun. With all of the money you will have saved by detoxing your wardrobe rather than buying a new one, get your travel plans in place before the airline sales end. Not only will you have something to work towards but something to look forward to giving you a positive outlook leading up to your departure date and something to focus on when the blues start to kick back in. If you can’t manage a two-week break to the Maldives, indulge in a staycation or city break where you can immerse yourself in a new culture surrounded by new people.