For most of us, no matter what you're doing: writing, school, work, we feel like we need a break just to regroup from the Holidays. I'm here to tell you that I hear you, I see you, I feel you and I've got a recipe for it. Here's my remedy on how to combat the After-Holiday Burnout. Just follow my simple steps and I promise you'll do just fine.
Kick Rocks
That's right. Just as I would say if you had writer's block, the same can be applied here. Kick rocks! Beat it! Get outta there, even if only for 15 minutes. When it's getting to be too much, go for a walk, but unplug too. Leave your phone, or tablet, and enjoy the quiet. If not a walk, take a shower, a bath, anything that is not staring at a computer screen, reading a textbook, or file, answering a phone call, text message, email, or any social media. Trust me this little mini break can help to rejuvenate you and you'll feel better. Everyone needs alone time. Trust me.
Visit the Sandman, and Sleep
There's a reason why the human body spends a third of your life doing this. If you aren't getting sleep, and I need to point out, if you aren't getting the right kind of sleep, everything around you: your mood, your relationships, your performance will all go to shit. If you're like me, and despite being exhausted, you just can't seem to turn your brain off, try reading a book in bed, adding a little whiskey to your nighttime tea, add a lavender diffuser to your room, choose the sleep genre playlist on Spotify, grab some melatonin at your drugstore, and if all fails, get a prescription for ambien from your doctor. I'm not trying to push you into medicating, but sleep is that important, and if you're not getting it, your body will breakdown. Do what you have to and make this one of your more important priorities.
Vent, Vent, Vent
Call someone up and vent. "My boss is a jerk," "My professor is tripping," "My cursor is the bane of my existence," whatever it is, get it out. Release that evil, so you move on. Some people will tell you not to vent, to be happy because you're so blessed. While that may be true, if you bottle negativity inside, and pretend, because that's what that person is suggesting, it will become something bigger than it really is. You will eventually blow, and most likely it will be blown out of proportion. My advice is to find someone who can be a sounding board and won't judge you for being petty, or jealous because those emotions are real, and human. If you don't have a person, then write it down in a journal and be done with your negative stint.
Get Yourself Off
Haha..., I'm sure there was a couple of people who had dirty thoughts here, but what I mean by this is basically the opposite of needing to vent. With venting you need to expel the negative, and here you need to feed the positive energy you have. Do something that makes you happy. This is more than kicking rocks and taking a 15 minute break, this is going to the movies, trying that new restaurant you heard about, going to the amusement park, trying out a new recipe, getting some sun, exercising (in anyway you come up with) because when you do something that makes you happy, you release endorphins. Endorphins take the edge off and leave you feeling amazing!
Get organized
Are you buried under junk? Yeah, me too. I clean, I organize, and then somehow a couple of weeks pass and it's all back again. Well, I suppose that's the thing about cleaning, you have to keep doing it (eye roll over here). Anyways, a junky work space, equals a cranky you. Make a to-do-list, or get an app, throw, or shred the excess papers, and breathe deep when you can actually see your desk. It was awful while you did it, but once you're feeling de-cluttered you can thank me, and I will gladly accept.
Listen to Uplighting Music, and if you dare....Have a Dance Party
Music can really influence our mood, so don't listen to say..., Joni Mitchell and have a Love Actually reenactment, but maybe put on some Beyonce' and have yourself a good ole' dance party. In doing this you're actually repeating a couple of steps here, by kicking rocks and having a little time-out break, and getting yourself off, by releasing endorphins. So, try it. Imagine you look something like this..
And, don't be too discouraged that you really more like this guy because what does it matter? Hopefully this little dance break is done in private, if not, oh well.
