How to beat the New Year slump.

Escape the mid January blues and keep your goals on track.

Christmas passed, resolutions were written and carefully prepared for the traditional annual change. Twenty Nineteen begins and you’ve already fulfilled one, two or even a chunk of ‘the list’.

Photo by Ross Findon on Unsplash

But the daily struggles have built up again, life is full throttle once more.

Balancing work, friends, family, learning, pets, kids, hobbies and everything else has eaten away at your enthusiasm. Available free time is getting shorter and you’re starting to feel run down. . .

RELAX , This is normal and you are certainly not alone. Most peoples resolutions don’t outlast January or February at most.

So what can you do to starve away the blues and keep achieving your goals?

1. It’s okay to take a minute, life can be overwhelming, especially when too much happens at once or doesn't go to plan, even if this is just five minutes close your eyes and just breath.
2. Take another look at that list. We LOVE writing lists full of changes we would like to make and we chuck everything imaginable on there and expect overnight changes, is your list feasible? Review it, be practical about what is achievable.
3. Give yourself a timeframe for a single change you would like to make and find a way to integrate that change into your daily routine.
4. Start a Journal, for your eyes only. You don’t even have to save what you write. Just writing things down can help you clear your head and gain a better understanding what is going on in the maze on your shoulders.
5. Talk to a partner or friend, explain why you feel like you aren’t where you want to be or whatever is bothering you, crucially make sure this is a person who doesn’t try to fix your issue , sometimes just ranting to someone helps you do that on your own.
6. Take a different route to work, one you don’t know. We are creatures of routine so a simple switch up on the way to/from your work place can actually make a huge difference, its simple but it breaks the daily clockwork we call 9–5.
7. On your next full day off do something new. Even if that is something small like going for a walk in a brand new place or visiting a bar in an area you’ve always want to see.
8. This one is odd and certainly not for everyone but just go somewhere safe and SHOUT. . . (obviously not at someone, tempting as it can be sometimes). When was the last time you did that . . . .
9. First thing in the morning jump in the shower and turn it on ICE cold and practice breathing . . . no joke this has some seriously good benefits, if you want to know more look up Wim Hof (Holder of several world record in relation to doing crazy things in the cold largely due to his amazing breathing technique.
10. Be kind to someone you don’t know , don’t plan it , just do it. It feels great and let’s be honest we all have bad days or even weeks/months and one persons good deed can twist that around.

We all go through slumps throughout the year and its absolutely normal, you aren’t alone, sometimes it’s easy to suffer in silence and think everyone else has their sh*t together but the truth is at one time or another none of us do.