Returning employees should "embrace micro-wins" at work to make January better
A leading West Midlands occupational health psychologist has told employees to focus on "micro-wins" in January instead of having "back to work blues".
Professor Craig Jackson at Birmingham City University believes workers should embrace small victories, such as freedom from the family, being back out in the fresh air, meeting friends, and wearing smart clothes again.
Professor Jackson said: “The back to work blues is partially instigated by having had a break from the normal routine - and in some cases this was filled with fun and enjoyment. It is only natural and quite normal that the ending of the festive period is overshadowed by the return to the norm; simply part of the natural ‘down’ following the ‘up’ of Christmas.
“Trying to focus on the reality of returning to work might help many: it is rarely as bad as one thinks and getting through the first day can help. It really is a case of one day at a time. Some others may benefit from having a return to structure and the 9-5 of working life that replaces the "haze" of the confusion between Christmas and New Year."
He added: "Breaking the return to work into a series of smaller challenges (rather than perceiving it as one big downer) will help. Focus on smaller tasks like the commute, dealing with email/work backlog and reconnecting with people/colleagues.
"It also helps to try and embrace the tiny positive things or ‘micro-wins’ about returning to work: freedom from the family; being back out in the fresh air; meeting friends; wearing smart clothes again. Some of these small pleasures can really make the working day slightly less ‘painful’."
