Re-adjusting to the New Year: Tackling January Overwhelm
It’s midweek of the first full week of January, so pull up a chair, grab a warm drink and take a minute to breathe.
With many of us returning to work and school this week, the reintroduction to routine and social interaction can be enough to overwhelm even the most confident individuals. If this is how you are feeling, please know you are certainly not alone.
The return to routine isn't something we can all immediately slip back into; in fact, many of us need time to readjust and realign. Tasks and actions that would usually come naturally may take a little longer, and it's important to remember to give yourself a little more tolerance during this adjustment period.
Kerry Pace, Founder of Diverse Learners and a client of The Executive Solutions Agency, provided insight into ‘Returning to school or the workplace after a break’.
Kerry comments: “As a person who has dyspraxia and other learning needs, I remember the exasperation – often as an audible sigh or shake of the head or sometimes a mocking comment – of a member of staff who couldn’t understand why “all of a sudden” I couldn’t do a task that I could do before. This also applied to returning to the workplace.
“I began dreading asking the question “how was school today?” so I sought to phrase questions to elicit the likelihood of a more positive response that gave my children a chance to re-frame the school experience (to focus on positive) to help all of us.”
How can we make small changes that might have a big impact to support New Year Overwhelm?
This gave us food for thought on how we can assist our colleagues and our own mind frames when returning to work after a break. Returning after Christmas can be particularly overwhelming, with the societal pressure of a new year and the familiar clichés that come with starting the year. So, we wanted to share a few suggestions for asking questions about the day without adding more anxiety.
What made you smile today at work?
What was the highlight of your day?
Did anything today surprise you?
What was something you felt excited about today?
Did anything go really well today?
By fostering a culture of patience, understanding, and open dialogue, we can support ourselves and those around us as we ease back into our routines. Simple, thoughtful questions like those shared above can make all the difference in reframing the day and shifting the focus toward the positive.
So, as we continue through the month, remember to give yourself—and others—the space to readjust.
Take a deep breath, be kind to yourself, and know that progress doesn’t have to be immediate; it’s all about those small, positive steps forward.
If you think we could support you through our business services, please get in touch.
About The Executive Solutions Agency
The Executive Solutions Agency provides flexible, tailored support for neurodivergent professionals, creative business owners and construction professionals. We work around the way you work, helping you create more clarity, structure and space to focus on what matters.
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