Starting the year in a productive, positive, and peaceful way

A few days into the first full work week of the new year -- how are you feeling?

If you’re feeling a bit stressed and overwhelmed, you’re not alone.  After two weeks of quieter work demands and time with family and friends, getting back to the routine can feel particularly hard.

The good news – we can leverage what science knows about our neurobiology to smooth the adjustment and help us begin the year in a productive, positive, and peaceful way.

Begin by recognizing what’s happening. As we look forward to the holidays or vacation and enjoy them, the dopamine levels in our brains increase, and we feel that holiday cheer. As we return to routine, those levels drop. The result can be that we feel a bit more down, stressed, overwhelmed, or negative than usual. 

Know that the feeling is temporary – we’ll feel better as our dopamine levels normalize. There are also some actions we can take to help us get past it:

Connect with what you care about most: One of the best things you can do for our well-being is having a clear view of what’s most important to you. Universally, when I ask my clients to describe their personal vision — what they most want in their lives — it’s not getting that promotion or making a lot of money. It’s their family, their friends, doing work that makes an impact. 

Take a few minutes to reflect on what’s most important to you and write it down. Even better, talk to someone about it. Connecting with our vision not only helps remind us what we want to focus on, it also activates the parasympathetic nervous system which helps us regulate, alleviating the stress. 

Give yourself grace: While we may have some urgent demands, when we really consider it, most of what we have in front of us, while important, isn’t urgent. Allow yourself some grace to ease back in. The best way to accomplish the important work and avoid eventual burnout is to take it a step at a time. Schedule regular breaks and use them to step outside, listen to music, connect with someone, or just breathe. 

Move your body: Along with the physical benefits, exercise delivers benefits for our brains and how we feel emotionally. Exercise releases endorphins – neuropeptides that elevate our mood and help modulate the body’s response to physical and emotional stress. Endorphins also support the growth of new brain cells and connections in the hippocampus – a part of our brains that is crucial to learning and memory. 

Aim for variety (cardio and strength training), consistency (at least 30 minutes most days) and intensity. Yet listen to your body, gradually increasing your intensity over time to avoid injury.

Remember you’re not alone: When I coach groups, one of the most beautiful experiences is seeing a client open up about their challenges and other group members instantly connect and share how they understand and experience similar challenges.

Often when feeling overwhelmed we isolate ourselves, putting our heads down to get it all done. We may knock to dos off our lists, yet we’re left feeling exhausted. When we instead allow ourselves to connect with others, we find community and support. We also find joy and laughter, increasing dopamine and energizing ourselves. 

 So, take a break, pause and reflect on what you care most about, connect with a friend, and get some movement in. Know that you’re doing good for your brain and body, strengthening yourself for all you want to accomplish.