Tips To Overcome Back-To-Work Stress After The Holidays

Done with the holidays? The season of joy can be very stressful. However, going back to work after New Year’s Day can be overwhelming as well. There can be piles of paperwork you have to finish and client calls you have to accomplish.

Stress can be very tiresome and can lead to headaches, dizziness, irritability, depression, and even forgetfulness. You wouldn’t want to forget the most important client meeting of your life you planned over the holidays, right?

Don’t worry though. We’ve got you covered. We’ll give you some of the best tips you can implement in order to overcome the stress of going back to work. Let’s delve into it now!

1. Stick To Your Routine
When you deviate from your normal routine, stress can add up. Go easy on the paperwork and take each task one by one. Don’t think about finishing everything all at once. Just do what you can do one step at a time and as time passes by, you might not even notice that you have done your job.

2. Learn To Say “No”
Don’t say yes to every favor asked of you. A little extra task here and there can add up to stress. Learn to decline and say “no” politely. It can even give you the feeling of authoritativeness, the feeling that you took charge of your life and made the right decisions.

3. Pamper Yourself With A Massage
Psychology Today states that massage helps relieve stress and anxiety. Give yourself some “me” time and indulge yourself in a massage that will help you with your mind-boggling thoughts. Plus, if you’re an insomniac at night thinking about work-related tasks all the time, massage can help you relax and even sleep better.

4. Exercise
Indulge your body in some sort of physical activity. Exercise stimulates the production of endorphins, brain chemicals that behave like pain killers and improve one’s sleep. This, in turn, leads to reduced stress. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, physical activity can help reduce stress and improve self-esteem.

5. Avoid Alcohol, Caffeine, and Nicotine
Nicotine and caffeine are stimulants that will increase your levels of stress. Alcohol, on the other hand, is a depressant when consumed in large amounts. However, it also acts as a stimulant when taken in smaller quantities.

You can actually drink tea or natural fruit juices instead of coffee. Drinking copious amounts of water will help as well as it keeps your body hydrated.

In addition, you should try to avoid foods that are made up of refined sugars — these can lead to energy crashes which can cause irritability and tiredness. You might want to turn down all of the leftover sweets from the holidays!

In order to avoid the stress of going back to work after the holiday season, you should learn to manage your time and take tasks step by step. In addition, you should avoid stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine. Finally, you can take a step forward by exercising and pampering yourself with a massage from a professional therapist.