As we come to the end of the summer, and you return to work if you have taken a summer break, you may be feeling demotivated at the thought of going back.
The evenings are drawing in and it is starting to get darker earlier. Energy price increases, interest rate rises, talks of a recession, the news is full of doom and gloom. If you let it, this could leave you feeling demotivated and with the end of summer blues.
That is why it is important to have something to look forward to as summer comes to an end. As the leader and visionary, you are the one expected to gee everyone up in the challenging and difficult times. You are the one people look to, to be upbeat and positive, but what happens if you’re not? What happens when you as a leader are feeling a bit blue as summer comes to an end?
There are benefits to having something to look forward to as summer comes to an end and here are 3 of them:
It helps you to feel optimistic about the future
Having something to look forward to can help you to feel optimistic about the future. And in these current times, feeling optimistic is beneficial to your overall wellbeing. Optimism helps to energise you and uplift you. Knowing you have something to look forward to can give you hope. It helps you to keep a positive outlook, which can also rub off on other people.
Achieving our goals gives us a sense of achievement, and when we are optimistic, we are more likely to take the action that is needed to achieve our goals.
It keeps you going when the going gets tough
In times of pressure and the daily demands of your job, having something to look forward to can keep you going when the going gets tough. Thinking about and planning for something that you are looking forward to in the future can help you to feel better in the present.
Having something to look forward to helps to keep you motivated and to put the pressures of your demanding role into perspective. It helps you to stay connected with your ‘why’ and what is important to you. This can lift you up when the going is tough.
It can help to relieve stress
For many of us, the past couple of years have been quite stressful. Not only having to contend with the pandemic, but also now the uncertainty around the economy and the fallout from that. When we anticipate a positive event, it has been found to boost a person’s mood and help them to get through stressful situations.
The positive emotions gained from having something to look forward to, makes it easier to cope and get through stressful times.
These are just 3 of the benefits of having something to look forward to, there are many more. So as the summer days fade away and the kids go back to school, to stave off the end of summer blues, start thinking about what you have to look forward to as summer comes to an end. Make a list of those things that you can anticipate doing in the weeks and months ahead.
What are you looking forward to as summer comes to an end?
First published on LinkedIn.
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