Happy New Year? This whole celebrating the New Year with excitement, vim, and vigor has never resonated with me. Are you kidding me? After the holidays, I feel like I just ran a marathon. I’ve got nothing left.
That mindset was bothering me. And then I thought about it. My burgeoning business recently started taking off (yay!), so at the end of last year I was working 15-hour days, then I had to deal with the fact that my kids had this silly expectation that we celebrate holidays (like we’ve done every other year).
Really, let’s think about all that we go through at the end of the year. There are deadlines, whether they be for work, getting gifts, getting the house ready, traveling out of town. There are expectations that you should be feeling the “holiday spirit” — you’re feeling joyous, right? Right?! And then there’s family — no stress there. Plus, every charitable organization is sharing its most heart-wrenching story to compete for the limited, end-of-the-year donations. Add on Pinterest syndrome — is your house, wardrobe, beauty routine, and family Pinterest worthy? — and is it any wonder that we’re left feeling like we have nothing left?
So what do you do? I don’t have a definitive answer, but these are some strategies that have been helpful for me:
See it as normal, rather than a problem
It was a big relief to realize I wasn’t having a “problem” that made me not want to join in the enthusiasm of the new year. It made sense that I felt burnt out and exhausted.
Be kind to yourself
If I had a friend who was feeling this way, and she shared it with me, would I say, “What’s wrong with you?!” No! I’d ask her what’s up, and I’d kindly try to help her figure out what the problem was and what she wanted to do about it.
Take baby steps
I really hate it when people tell me to break tasks up into small, manageable parts, to celebrate the little wins, etc., but it’s true. Normally, I like to work in big chunks of time, but when I have nothing left, I can’t do that. Instead of feeling frustrated that I’m not able to work the way I usually work, I *try* to work in smaller chunks. Cut out the pattern. Stop. Cut out the fabric. Stop. Interface the fabric. (You get the idea.)
Give in to the reduced productiveness
Obviously, we can’t do this every day. I find that when I can just admit to myself that it’s not going to be a productive day, I’m able to snap back into things more easily the next day, rather than getting sucked into beating myself up.
Switch tasks
When I’ve sewn and ripped out the same seam three times, it’s time to put the project in a time out. Instead, I think about all the other tasks I need to do: Do I need to email contacts about finding space for a class? Would cleaning up my space help me be more productive? What about sketching out that design idea that’s been hanging around in my head? If you are able, sometimes switching to a different task will allow you to build up momentum and build your sense of accomplishment.
I can’t imagine I’m the only person with this problem. (Please! Tell me I’m not!) What strategies have you found helpful when you have nothing left at the beginning of a new year?
