Try starting a new habit

Waking up a bit earlier in the morning can help you ease back into work. Try to form a new morning habit. Hit the gym, meditate, or just commit to making your bed daily. Starting the day by accomplishing something (even small) can be powerful. Figure out what energizes or relaxes you in the morning and leaves you feeling ready to tackle the day.

As a leader, encourage your employees to hone in on a personal goal or two for the year. These should be separate from professional goals. Holding your people accountable and motivating them to strive for personal success is just as important!

Be realistic for the first week back

Don’t put too much pressure on yourself or others to hit the ground running the first week of January. Treat it like a warm-up period and set realistic expectations. Don’t schedule too many meetings or expect every end of year issue to be resolved. Communicate with your team what you have the bandwidth for this week.

The first week back can also be daunting because it’s the beginning of an entire year. You may look ahead to the big goals that are set. Remind yourself that it’s not all meant to get done in one week or month. Focus on monthly, weekly, and even daily milestones that will get you there.

Celebrate the past year’s wins

Reflect on everything that has been accomplished in the last year. Think about the wins, both big and small, and the obstacles overcome to get there. Taking this time can really put things into perspective and serve as a reminder of all the good.

Celebrate alongside your team and recognize each individual. It could be casually in a meeting, through digital praise, at a small party, or during an elaborate gala. You’ll energize your team members and inspire them to keep up the great work in the new year.

Plan things to look forward to

It can be nice to have things on our personal calendar to look forward to. Especially after a long weekend or a vacation, we like to be able to look ahead to the next one. Having events to look forward to doesn’t stop at our personal calendars. Having work-related events on our calendar can be exciting and even more motivating in the workplace. If you have nothing fun on your work calendar in January, consider planning something now. It could be a virtual happy hour, team dinner, or day trip away from the office.

The post-holiday blues are a common experience year after year. Combat the slump with new habits, realistic expectations, recognition, and planned events. Do your best to be positive and set yourself up for a great start to the new year!