Psychologist gives top ten tips on how to kick start 2022

Make your 2022 better

You may be looking at 2022 with trepidation, but a top psychologist with 20 years of experience in business psychology consultancy aims to give a helping hand.

So are you feeling the January blues? It’s dreary outside and you lack the motivation to kick start your New Year resolutions, plus you’re back to working from home.

Feel Good Contacts has teamed up with business psychologist Jan P de Jonge to offer some tips on how to beat the January slump:

New Year Resolutions

Make sure that you understand what your longer-term goal is that’s behind your New Year’s resolution. What impact are you looking for? Try to set yourself a goal that is actually doable.

1. Prepare

Feeling as prepared as possible will help you feel less nervous and more confident. At the beginning of each week, make a work schedule. Of course, things are bound to come up at the last moment but outlining a list of tasks will stop you from feeling overwhelmed.

2. Get dressed

Even if you put on sweatpants and a jumper, putting on your daytime clothes will make a big difference to your mindset.

3. Designate a workspace

If you work in bed you may be comfortable – although not for long as you may develop back issues – however, your mind probably won’t be in ‘work mode’.

4. Create a routine

Structure makes our brains happy because the patterns and routines we don’t have to think about will allow our brain to go into autopilot. Establishing a set routine (with some room for flexibility) will give your day some structure. This should make you more efficient, productive and hopefully more at ease in these

5. uncertain times

A routine is just as important for your mental health as it is for your productivity levels.

6. Stay calm

Whenever you feel anxious, stop what you’re doing and take a few deep breaths to help you stay calm. Concentrate on your breathing. Count to ten. Remind yourself that you are a valued member of the team.

7. Get outdoors

Seeing the same four walls non-stop isn’t good for anyone. Exercise will stop you feeling lethargic from sitting on your rump all day. Try and go for a walk or a run early before the start of the day.

Another option is to exercise at lunchtime to refresh yourself in the middle of the day. Why not try some deskercise?

8. Great expectations – but reasonable

Employees who are able and feel in a strong enough position to express their wishes and expectations to their employer (line manager, boss, or HR staff) will be more able to withstand or manage unhappiness, stress, low mood, or the January blues.

9. Involvement

Try to get involved in any initiatives that your firm takes to look after its staff (yes – you!). Research indicates that activities which are created with meaningful input from the workforce, have a far greater positive and lasting impact. You can make a difference.

10. Stick to your work hours

We are well aware of how bad screen time can be for your health. So, unless you have a particular deadline that you need to hit, you should stick to your structured work hours as much as possible.

It’s important to be able to relax after your workday and not keep thinking about work. This is easier to do if you shut the laptop and ignore your e-mails from the moment your workday ends.

Finally, try to organise fun and relaxing things for yourself to do after work to help you to slip more easily into ‘relax mode’.