Sanity savers for the new work year

Does it already feel like your holiday was months ago? January can be a mixed blessing. The weather’s great, but you’re trapped inside at your desk. Maybe you're stuck in endless planning meetings, feeling overwhelmed by everything the year ahead is promising.

So, what’s the recipe for office harmony (if you’ll excuse the pun) and setting yourself up for a healthy, productive year?

Love thy neighbour

A good place to start is by remembering that everyone is entering the new work year from a different space. One person might be ready to go gangbusters after two weeks of reading on the beach. Another might be exhausted from running around after their kids. Others may have had little or no time off at all. Pay attention to where your own energy levels are, and be sensitive to how others might be feeling.

Apply the handbrake

If you’re one of those feeling a little beaten by 2021 already, don’t worry—you can change that. The most powerful question you can ask yourself, or anyone feeling stuck or overwhelmed, is: What is going to create relief in this moment? What’s one thought you could have, or one action you could take, that would give you relief right now?

You can’t go from stressed to super-relaxed in a nanosecond, so it’s about pausing to recognise what might help in this moment. It might just be reminding yourself to take things one bite at a time—and that you don’t have to deal with the whole year, or a whole project, all at once.

Reverse the spiral

Once you’ve given yourself that moment of relief, you create space to build a more positive pattern. A helpful thought to remember is: your attention is your energy. Whatever you focus on grows. If you focus on being stressed, suddenly you’ve got 1,000 things racing around in your head.

Instead, pick one aspect of what’s overwhelming you and focus on that. If you’ve reminded yourself to take things one bite at a time—what’s the first bite? By narrowing your field of focus, your attention (and therefore your energy) won’t be so stretched. When you give your attention to what you want to create, you free up energy to be creative and deliberate. Congratulations—you’ve shifted from a destructive spiral to a constructive pattern.

Sense and sense ability

Remember, your mind is one of your senses. You can quiet your mind by bringing your other senses into balance. Sit quietly for two minutes. Notice how your body feels in the chair. Notice what you can hear, see, and smell. The moment you do that, your mind becomes less active. It gives you a chance to step out, regroup, and return with clarity and focus.

Step outside

And while we’re talking about stepping out—make sure you get outside at least once a day. Notice the trees and the sky. Breathe deeply. Try to find something to appreciate—about your life, your co-workers, the day… or, heaven forbid, even about yourself!