Five tips to get yourself back into gear after a break

I'm baaaacckkkkk! (Finally) And wow was that a struggle to get some motivation happening to get into the new year (confession, still lagging a bit).

As 2022 wrapped up I had the vision of me hitting 2023 on the ground running, straight out of the gates and going for gold. But alas, my energy is moving slower than I had hoped for (thanks Mars retrograde).

Instead of kicking myself for it, I've surrendered, allowed myself to take the extra rest needed and not judge the time it took to get myself back into gear after having time off over the holiday period.

If you're like me and you're finding it a tad challenging to show up how you would ultimately prefer to be, along with self-compassion, here are 5 tips to get you back into gear after having a break:

1️⃣ Let's talk about dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with the reward pathway in the brain and is released when we complete tasks, big or small. So if you are finding it hard to get out of bed, try booking that appointment you've been putting off, schedule lunch with a friend, pay a bill etc. This will get your dopamine flowing which in turn boosts productivity! (Bonus points for making your bed after you get out of it feeling oh so accomplished).

2️⃣ Ahh active wear, comfy and still trending despite the whole 'leggings aren't pants' debate. Wearing active wear including runners will boost your energy as your brain associates this type of clothing with exercise which will shift your mindset into a more motivating one. Ever noticed how much faster you walk when you're in runners compared to other shoes?

3️⃣ This is probably an obvious one but a cluttered space is a cluttered mind. Clearing away old and stagnant energy by cleaning your work space or home will allow fresh energy to flow into the space allowing you to think more clearly and feel better.

4️⃣ Dual attack here, upbeat and joyful music to transfer your mind into modes of happiness coupled with moving the energy through your body, whether it's a full on dance party or some gentle intuitive movements, shake off that tired energy and move into a motivated mindset.

5️⃣ This is what's called the Pomodoro Technique, in which you alternate focused periods of work with frequent short breaks. This technique helps you to stay focused and ward off mental fatigue as you are only committing yourself to the period of work allocated and your brain knows it will get a break after that. If 50-mins still seems too long, start with a shorter period and you'll be surprised to notice how in flow you are when your timer goes off and you might even snooze that alarm in favour of continuing to work... I like to use the ratio of 50-mins on and 10-min break and see how much I can get done in those 50-mins as an additional way to gamify my work day and continue on the productivity ride of those sweet dopamine releases.

So there you have it, five tips to get you back into gear after a break. Do you have a favourite? Come and let me know over on Instagram @bonnie_lea.elizabeth 👋🏻