If you feel like you’re in a slump, and things aren’t going in your favor, perhaps you should consider stepping back for a bit and spend some time to make yourself feel better. It’s not selfish to go on a break to relax and rejuvenate since your slump can be a sign of burnout from work. There are several changes you can do to your routine to boost your mood and make yourself feel better.
Here are things you can do.
Change Your Sleep-Wake Hours
Some people thrive at night. They’re more active, more creative, and eager to work as the sun goes down. If you don’t feel like working at your best level on a regular nine-to-five shift, try a different one and see how you feel. Perhaps you’re getting stressed by the commute, going to and from work during rush hours with the rest of the workforce. Opt for a mid-shift or night shift, if your work permits.
If you feel more energetic or more creative at night, you can choose to work on night shifts or even the dreaded graveyard shift. It’s really about finding your groove, finding what period you are more likely to perform and less burnt out.
Allot Some “Me Time” in Your Schedule
Imagine this: you’re working more than 40 hours each week, commuting two hours daily. You’re left with less than three to four hours to spend on yourself or your family before you have to shut down for the day. Doing that for months on end would drive you crazy, and you’ll feel bad no matter how much you eat or sleep. That’s why you need to set a time you’ll spend for yourself, making yourself feel better, or at least being alone with your thoughts. You can have this monthly, weekly, or even daily, depending on the activity.
Trekking on a nearby nature trail on your own can be a good opportunity for introspection. You can also get a massage once or twice a month. Relaxing your body and your mind is a great way to “refresh” before another hectic week starts. You can also just choose to soak in your tub, use a lightening body scrub to clean yourself, and relax to soothing music.
Change Your Eating Schedule
No, we’re not talking about your diet here. This is a judgment-free zone. What we’re trying to do here is to adjust the times you eat or even change the frequency of your meals. If you’re used to not eating breakfast in the morning and just settling for a cup of Joe while you check your emails, you might want to change that. Eating breakfast, even a light one, can change your mood significantly. The carbs, the sugar, and that full, satisfied feeling can do a lot to make you more cheerful as you tackle your workload.
Eating late in the afternoon can also affect how you work for the rest of the day. That full feeling during ungodly hours of the afternoon can make you feel lethargic and keep you from being effective. It’s not a good idea to have meetings right around this time because you’ll fall asleep. What you can do instead is to divide your meals so that you can space them in two-hour intervals. This way, you won’t feel too full to function properly or too hungry to feel angry and lose focus.
Doing the same things for long hours can be draining. Try altering your daily schedule and allow yourself to relax. This helps you feel more refreshed and energized to improve your well-being.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
