The presents are unwrapped, the tree is wilting, and you may (or may not) be putting your Holiday playlist to rest. The Holidays are over and it’s time to pack and gear up for what 2017 brings, right?
Woah woah woah…not so fast. The New Year is an exciting time; it’s an invitation into something fresh and lively. New goals, new dreams to achieve, spring cleaning, back to the hustle…
The Holidays do have a way to slow us down, sometimes dramatically. The days feel longer; when it’s raining, it feels darker. There’s this beautiful drag with winter days, especially the days leading up to Christmas. Heck, three days prior I didn’t even want to think _about going to the grocery store. The pressures that usually saturate my life as a wife, mom, and professional get kind of pushed aside the days leading up to Christmas, and I just want to stay in bed all day and read about _Hygge (you’ll thank me).
But, alas, the kids need to go back to school, and my husband and I work…and I can’t just lay in bed all day. Especially as an entrepreneur and creative, we don’t get “normal” days off-there are posts that need to be written, pictures that need to be shared, and marketing that needs to be strategized, even over the holidays.
Here are three ways I jump back into the game after hitting the holiday slump (ya feel me?):
1. Put away all the festivities.
I love all the silver tinsel wrapped around our staircase as much as the next gal, but we have to admit…the holiday decor is a wonderful invitation to slow the heck down-which is beautiful and necessary, but now, it’s time to pick up our game again, and pick up the stuff. More important than putting the decor away is cleaning up after the celebrations-no red plastic cups, no wrapping paper left around, no new presents left out without a proper new home. Hang up your new print or put that new sweater in the appropriate drawer. Follow Marie Kondo’s rules of living and put everything in it’s place and don’t rest until everything is in it’s permanent new home. 
2. Get dressed.
I love staying in sweats all day as much as the next work-from-home gal, but let’s be honest…sweats+top (still wet from last nights shower) knot+rain=less work, more Gilmore Girls. Lay out your clothes the night before, and get excited about your cute new productive outfit you scored this Christmas-or just be sure to lay out your favorite G.S.D. gear. My go-to’s include my Nisolo boots (every.single.day-I’m in loveeee!), leggings, and a comfy, inspirational top. 
3. Kiss the holiday goodbye with an evening ritual
Use the evening before you _truly _go back to the grind and hustle, to usher in this next season of work. You’ve hopefully taken some good time off to think less about productivity and more about Netflix, family, and self-care. You’ve hopefully listened to great playlists that calm your spirit, and have had your fair share of mulled cider-but now it’s time to step back into the swing of things. Clean the house (my husband have a once a week evening date called “coffee and clean” where we clean as a team then sit at our table with coffee to talk), clear up any clutter that will distract you from being your best the next day, lay out your productivity-power outfit, and set up your workspace. I love starting my day with essential oils diffusing (like this one from Saje). Have some cider and use the night to kiss the Holiday goodbye as you prepare your heart, mind, and space for the season at hand.
There is no fool proof way to eliminate the holiday slump, but girl, we’ve got work to do-hard and holy work that the world needs. So let’s kiss December goodbye together, and step into January with an excited leap.
Photos by Valerie Denise featuring Nisolo, Dear Loves Co. and Allkiind
