Decorations are packed away, the house feels cold and no you can’t have a tin of sweets washed down by a few sherry’s for a snack. We have put together a few simple steps on how to get back to a normal routine after all of the festivities.
Unless you were one in a million who stuck to getting up early, eating sensibly and going for a long brisk walk (our ship sailed a long time ago) then like 99 per cent of the UK, peeling your eyes open first thing and getting a sugar craving by 9.30am will all be part of trying to get back to a normal routine after Christmas.
Set the alarm even earlier than normal! Sounds crazy? however John from the UTCT team said he does this every year in January: “setting the alarm by an extra 10 minutes allows me time to come round and not have to spring out of bed and into action straight away, and with all the extra lie-ins over Xmas this helps me out…A LOT”
Get yourself organized, each night set out your outfit for the following day, catch up with emails and prepare as much as you can for the next day including having the dinner ready just to pop on the second you come back from work or picking up the kids.
Don’t go cold turkey, mmmm cold turkey sandwiches! OKAY enough fantasizing about that however when it comes to all those extra indulgence you had over Christmas putting away every tin and treat is practically impossible without pinching, so don’t! Katy from our team says allow yourself to have a few little treats here and there, cutting them all out straight away is way to difficult when boxes are half opened so cut back a little each day and start fresh once they are done.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner – This doesn’t mean cold cocktail sausages for breakfast! Getting back to proper meals and times is key to a routine, ensure you are ready with porridge (so it makes you feel fuller thought out the day) a good lunch at a reasonable time and evening meals shouldn’t always be washed down with half a Xmas pudding…darn.
Positive mental attitude – Look, even Santa gets a little grumpy when Christmas is past however planning and preparing for the next round of festive fun can be just as exciting. Every day keep positive thoughts at the front of your mind (even if lunch break is only 10 minutes away) and your days will start to get easier and a normal routine won’t seem to difficult.
Make a new goal. Setting yourself a small but steady goal for the week whether it be getting through the batch of emails you have put off, organizing the kids lunch boxes for the week or simply tackling the huge washing pile which lurks at the back of the cupboard can help put back a normal routine and because the goal is small you will achieve these pretty quickly.
And don’t forget, nearly everyone is in the same boat! talk to friends and family to gather tips and tricks they are using and apply to your every day life.
We hope our simple steps to getting back into a normal routine after Christmas have helped a little, now were off for our well earned chocolate!
How are you settling back into routine? Share your comments below and let us know!
