Start the new year strong with these 5 back to work tips

For a lucky few people, waking up this morning and getting straight back into routine was easy. They might have even pre-prepared their healthy lunches and gone for a run before energetically strolling into work 30 minutes early.

However, for most, not long ago the alarm just brutally ripped you from your peaceful slumber and sent your head into a spin as you frantically tried to hit the snooze button and delay the back to work reality of the new year after a wonderfully slow-paced and over-indulgent break.

You may be fantasising about staying on the sofa, finishing off those last tins of chocolates and biscuits with a good film (or six) but put that aside now. It’s a new year, and a chance for a new you with 365 days of new opportunities.

Here’s our back to work tips on how you can get set for a great new year.

Get into the right frame of mind:
It can be really tempting to throw on some slow, ethereal and soothing music as you look outside at the cold, dark morning but that’ll only delay your energy. Instead, opt for an up-beat and energetic playlist. It really makes the difference and gets you pumped and into the right frame of mind to start your day.

Start as you mean to go on:
My morning routine was awful. I’d make coffee and just sit on my bed, refreshing the same few social apps over and over again with the news on in the background whilst time ticked away. This year, that has totally gone from my routine. My New Year changes involve making time for a healthy breakfast, doing some exercise or planning for the day/week ahead.

De-clutter & get organised:
You might have cleared up a bit (clean desk policies and all that) before the break, but get straight in there. Remove that little Christmas tree and tinsel from your desk, get rid of that now out of date box of mince pies and have a digital de-clutter. Bulk delete those seasons greetings emails and back to work spam and prioritise the important messages which need following up. Getting into the habit of using lists is a great routine to get into straight away to ensure you remain productive in the New Year. Not a fan of paper? Then there are some great apps out there for project management and organising your day such as Trello or Wunderlist.

Set yourself some goals:
Having something set out that needs to be achieved alongside your usual workload really helps to keep you mentally focused through-out the year. These goals can vary in size but must be realistically achievable. This can be anything from a health kick through to learning a new job skill, taking on more responsibility or mastering a new hobby.

Be greener:
In the New Year, everyone’s thoughts go inwards looking to achieve a healthy you but how about also achieving a healthy living and working environment. Re-thinking something as simple as cleaning products can easily change this. Switching from regular, standard cleaning chemicals which contain hazardous ingredients to greener alternatives is a great way to get better results and reduce environmental impact. Cleantec Innovation’s portfolio is a great starting point with a huge range of safe, 100% natural biological cleaning products.

For a healthier you and improved environment, if you can make one change this year, a switch to safer, environmentally responsible products should be it.

View the Envirodri range  here.