by After all the festivities and celebrations over December, by the time January comes and life goes back to normal, everyone needs another holiday. Recovering from the hype can be difficult but it is important to centre yourself again and do things that refreshes you for the long year ahead.
Here are some tips to help you get back into the work swing of things without feeling like a zombie from all the festivities.
1. Get Some More Shut Eye
This one is definitely one of the most important elements. Not getting enough sleep could cause long term health risks to your body, both mentally and physically.
In general, adults are required to get at least eight hours of sleep a night. According to the Sleep Foundation, as humans we spend one third of our lives sleeping.
“Pay careful attention to your mood, energy and health after a poor night’s sleep versus a good one. Ask yourself, “How often do I get a good night’s sleep?” Like good diet and exercise, sleep is a critical component to overall health.”
Most of us find it difficult to get the recommended number of hours of sleep in each night as the nights are shorter because the sun sets later.
Once the festive hype is over, if you want to feel fresh and ready to take on 2018, get a good night’s sleep… more than once.
If you aren’t sure of how many hours of shut eye you should get a night, we break it down for you:
2. Out With The Old, In With The New
If your living space is filled with odds and ends from last year that you don’t need, why not take some time and get rid of it.
Starting a new year on a clean slate with new goals and ideas should first start with a clean room. If you haven’t used something in the past year, you most probably won’t use it any time soon. Once you get rid of the mess and clutter you will not only be able to see the floor, but everything else will start to seem a lot clearer.
Although you might not suffer from a hoarding disorder, throwing away junk has positive effects on mental and physical well-being.
According to Mayo Clinic, hoarding is different from collecting.
“People who have collections categorize them and carefully display their collections. Although collections can be large, they aren’t usually cluttered and they don’t cause the distress and impairments that are part of hoarding disorder.”
The best thing to do would be to put all the things you don’t want anymore aside and take it to a community centre for distribution.
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3. Stock Up On The Good Stuff
After all the Christmas cake, turkey and alcohol, your body won’t be your friend anymore. Not only is sleep important, but why not stock up on some healthy treats.
The combination of sleep and healthy foods will help refresh your body and mind. Don’t forget that while you eat healthy, you should fill up your cup with water.
Eight glasses of water a day in fact. This will assist with fatigue, flush out all the toxins and improve your skin.
Here are some healthy food essentials you can start with to bring in the new year:
- Yogurt;
- Raisins;
- Beans;
- Whole grains;
- Nuts;
- Apples;
- Tomatoes;
- Popcorn;
- Spinach.
4. Declutter The Box
Nothing says a fresh, new year better than a social media clean up. This can be anything from unfriending people on Facebook, or unfollowing people on Insta.
There’s really nothing worse than seeing the same people who you probably haven’t spoken to the whole year, posting the same selfies day in and day out. That really is ‘so last year’. Make it your mission to do an entire online clean up.
Better still, if that’s not good enough, why not go through your inbox and clear that up too. Unsubscribe to all the websites that you once subscribed to because you wanted to enter a competition.
Start your online profile a fresh in 2018 and sift through what you want in your life for the year, and what you can do without!
5. Find Something New And Fun
If resolutions aren’t really your thing, why not get yourself a new hobby instead. Take some time out of your day to do something new.
This will not only allow you to feel a sense of accomplishment once you have excelled, but it will also keep you motivated and focused on the journey.
Find something that you have always wanted to do, but have previously claimed you didn’t have the time for. This time- make time for it. We always say that we never have time for things, however we are the ones who determine how we spend our time.
Once you have figured out what it is you want to take part in, use your social media account as a means of documenting your progress. This will be an excellent way to motivate yourself through future plans by seeing your progress the next year.
6. Work It Out
During the holidays, many people tend to slack when it comes to being active and exercising. Although the weather is great, South Africans tend to prefer being in front of a braai or lounging on the beach or by the pool.
If working out isn’t your thing, why not try and do other activities that involved being active. This, in conjunction with healthy eating and enough sleep, will make you feel like you are ready to concur the world.
Take yourself for a stroll in a park or along the beach, or otherwise spend a bit more time cleaning the house. Even doing mundane things like cleaning the house or redesigning a room, burn some calories.
At the start of the year, most people set themselves a ‘I want to get fit’ goal, which, nine times out of ten, they never stick to.
Instead of going in full steam ahead and it only lasting a week or two, why not try a five minute workout to start with. That way, you are still burning calories but you can do it in the comfort of your own home.
Once you start seeing results, this will motivate you push yourself even harder. This will become a lifestyle choice and you will start the year off feeling motivated and energized.
7. Less Tech, More Talk
Technology, and social media more specifically, has become such a big part of people’s lives nowadays. Many people can’t spend more than an hour without picking up their device and checking their social media accounts.
Although social media is a great way to connect with the rest of the world, take some time out for yourself. Focus on the things that make you happy and spend some time actually talking to people.
How many times have you been to restaurants and seen everyone sitting together on their phones? This has become the sad reality that we are living in today, where we can’t enjoy the company of the people right in front of us.
According to The Odyssey Online, excessive use of social media can cause addiction. This can lead to having all types of negative effects on a person’s well-being.
“People who have collections, such as stamps or model cars, deliberately search out specific items, categorize them and carefully display their collections. Although collections can be large, they aren’t usually cluttered and they don’t cause the distress and impairments that are part of hoarding disorder,” states the website.
Set yourself a tech goal and limit your social media usage so that you can give yourself a chance to do what you need to do.
8. Pamper Time
You made it through another stressful year, why not spoil yourself? Whether it be going for a massage, getting your nails done or going for a hair cut- do something that makes you feel fresh.
Looking and feeling good will let the endorphins flow and you will radiate positive energy. Take the first few weeks of 2018 and make it all about you.
Get yourself ready for the challenges and struggles that you will face in the year by pampering yourself and recharging the mind and body.
CompareGuru wishes you a successful and fabulous 2018! Let us know how you recharge for the new year.
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