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4 Ways to Recharge over the Holidays

Published: Dec 19, 2017

 Workplace Issues       
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While the holidays are undoubtedly fun, they can be stressful. You’re probably just finishing up an exhausting final few weeks at work, while juggling your holiday shopping and making holiday preparations. While you have some time off over the holidays—whether it be just a long weekend or a few weeks—it’s important that you set aside time for yourself to reset. Here are four ways you can recharge over the holidays, so you can return reenergized to the office in the New Year.

1. Do a yoga class

While it may seem overhyped, yoga is one of the most effective natural ways for you to relax, which is necessary during the chaotic holiday season. Practicing mindfulness through yoga and meditation leads to higher levels of serotonin (the happiness hormone) in the body. If you’re not a yoga person, try another form of exercise such as taking a long walk or participating in a dance class. Exercise not only releases endorphins in the brain, but it also helps relax the muscles and relieve tension in the body. Since the mind and body are so closely connected, when your body feels better, so will you!

2. Sleep

This may seem obvious, but it’s crucial that you get a lot of sleep when you’re home for the holidays, in order to reenergize. While lack of sleep obviously does not make you feel great, it’s actually linked to physical problems such as a weakened immune system, as well as mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. However, if you get at least seven hours of sound sleep at night, your body enters a regenerative mode, restoring skill cells, liver functions, and heart health. Sleep also benefits your cognitive function, making your memory sharper and helping with decision making—so be sure to rest up before returning to work in the New Year!

3. Read a book

Sometimes you need a bit of new perspective in order to recharge, and reading a book is a great way to find that. If you’re looking to reflect on work and your goals, try reading a self-help book or a business-related book, to gain some clarity and learn new strategies to implement at work in the New Year. Or, if you’re looking to detach completely from work and focus on something other than your job, try picking up a lighthearted novel or an autobiography. Getting engrossed in a book and forgetting about any stressors can work wonders in helping you recharge.

4. Make a list of goals

Rather than draft a laundry list of New Year’s resolutions—which most people abandon early into the New Year, anyway—try creating a list of positive goals you’d like to achieve. By reframing oft-negative resolutions to positive goals, e.g. changing “Don’t eat processed foods” to “Eat more fresh foods packed with nutrients,” you’ll actually want to engage in these activities. Getting excited about a goal, rather than dreading a resolution, will make you much more motivated to stick with it and achieve the outcome. For work-related goals, such as “Spend more time planning out projects in advance,” this new frame of mind can yield fantastic results, helping you manage your time better and hit the ground running when you return to the office.

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