After 2 weeks off of enjoying the spirit of Christmas, it can become easy for us to feel unmotivated to transition back to our usual lifestyle. Christmas can also be a stressful time for many so the pressure of having to go back to school, work or college can weigh us down. So how do we overcome this and get ready to embrace the new year?

 

The first thing you could do to benefit you this year is to plan ahead. Returning to school or college in January in particular is a very busy time, especially with January mocks as well as approaching your final exams in the summer. Therefore planning ahead allows you to ease into your timetable rather than jumping straight into the deep end. By planning a schedule, it permits you to be more prepared and have everything ready, so you can relax when you need to and relieve any anxiety or stress about things not being ready or done in time. 

 

You could set attainable targets to finish your work, so you don't get confused about what dates certain things may be due. In addition to this you could set yourself other goals that you would like to achieve in the new year that may motivate you to have a better outlook on the next month on top of giving you a start at having something to work toward.

 

With the holidays being over and lots of work and stress awaiting you in the new year, it could be helpful to set up plans in weeks to come for you to have something to look forward to while you're studying or working. This would push you to have some more motivation to keep up your work as you will be rewarded for them after a certain milestone as well as relieving any fear that the excitement you endured during the holidays was gone. 

 

Lastly, it is important you take care of yourself both physically and mentally to progress in the new year. After two weeks without the usual routine, it is likely that your sleeping pattern may have changed. Therefore when adjusting back to the academic year it is vital that you get at least 8 hours sleep to prevent breakouts, concentration and irritability which would result in more stress. If you are struggling to proceed into the new year with a healthy mindset, speak to someone you can trust such as a teacher, friend or family member who may be able to help and advise you.