If you’re pushing yourself to rise and “grind” this January, we have one message for you: chill out. Time and time again we come into the new year pushing ourselves to meet our new year’s resolutions and to be re-energized when our cup is basically empty. Avoid burnout in the new year.

Instead of grinding out the new year and your remaining shreds of motivation, grind up some black pepper to make SNP’s productivity hangover cure: a Bloody Mary. (And if you’re having a dry January, forgo the Vodka!) 

P.S. Freeze your glass for maximum chill

Ingredients to Cure a Work Hangover

1. Be nice to yourself black pepper
2. Time tomato juice (48 oz)
3. Horsin’ around creamy hot horseradish 3tbsp
4. Don’t be the worst Worcestershire sauce 3 tbsp
5. 2 1/4 teaspoons celery salt
6. 3 teaspoons garlic salt
7. Tabasco sauce
8. Be nice to yourself black pepper
9. Value Vodka 2 oz (optional)
10. Ice 
11. Garnish (optional) 

3 Steps to Avoid Burnout in the New Year

Step 1: Make your Bloody Mary mixture.

Mix together Be nice to yourself black pepper, Time tomato juice, Horsin’ around horseradish, Don’t be the worst Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, and garlic salt in a large pitcher. Season with 10-15 shakes of Tabasco sauce, or to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Be nice to yourself black pepper

We return to work in the new year with expectations about what we can accomplish, the energy we’ll bring, and the “new” people we’ll be. However, if you’re like the rest of us, that first week back at work looked more like constantly checking your calendar to figure out what day it was, instead of crossing off things on your to-do list. 

It’s ok to need space to re-orient. Be kind to yourself as we ramp up into 2022. Your goals and tasks aren’t going anywhere. If you need space to pause, take it. 

And get rid of any negative self-talk. Telling yourself “I should be doing xyz” doesn’t change the fact you aren’t, and it doesn’t motivate you to start doing xyz. Focus on what you need to do to get re-energized and re-centered, so when you’re ready to tackle the “I shoulds,” you’ll knock it out of the park and most importantly, you’ll avoid burnout in the new year. 

Time Tomato Juice

Part of being nice to yourself is being more intentional with your time. It’s easy to fall into a rhythm of being online and available from 7 am until 7 pm. With the holiday break as a reset, keep some of those activities that made you feel good. 

Cook meals. Spend time with loved ones. Move your body. Savor your mornings. Do something that fills your cup (like making this drink). 

Exercise: Go to your calendar right now and block off time for something that will make you feel good. Get specific!

Here are some ideas: “On Wednesday I will block out one hour during lunchtime to exercise and eat.” 

“On Monday night I’m going to block out my evening, from 5-10 pm to make Lasagne with my family and go for a walk.” 

“On Friday I’m going to start work an hour later so I can sleep in a little.”

Horsin’ around Horseradish

With blocking out time for yourself and working on self-compassion, there’s one thing you can’t forget: have fun! Fun is often the first thing to go when work gets crazy or life happens, so make sure you schedule it in.

Something doesn’t have to be productive or useful to be worth your time so long as it makes you feel good. Have you forgotten what you find fun? Try using some of these prompts to help figure it out.

– When you think of fun, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? 

– What activities do you find to be the opposite of fun?

– What activities did you find fun as a kid? Would those activities still be fun now?

– What’s going on in your community? Are there any exhibits, concerts, plays, etc. that excite you? 

Don’t be the worst Worchestire sauce

Don’t forget the age-old saying, treat others how you want to be treated. However you’re feeling, you’re not alone. If you’re low on energy, feeling brain fog, feeling despondent about the state of the world, there’s a chance your coworkers are too. So be kind to them too. Respect their time. Forgive mistakes. Take time to be humans and have an actual conversation.

Yes, work brought you together, but it’s your choice how you show up and engage with the people you work with.

Step 2: Add 2 ounces of your values vodka to a glass.

And then top with bloody mary tomato mixture. 

No matter what you decide is best for you right now, make sure it aligns with your values. 

When you live according to what you care about, keeping your cup full is a lot easier. If you’re not sure how to live according to your values, start by explaining how your goals relate back to your values. 

For example, if you value curiosity, and one of your goals is to learn more about product management your explanation would be: I want to connect with my product management colleagues to learn more about what they do because I’m curious about what the product lifecycle looks like.

This helps you save space for yourself, prioritize your time, and connect to your passions.

Step 3: Garnish with topping of your choice.

Limes, lemons, celery ribs, blue cheese stuffed olives, bacon strips, pepperoncinis, cooked shrimp, hot sauce, pickles, pickled asparagus or green beans, pickled beets, chunks of cheese – anything your heart desires.

Take what you need. Leave what you don’t.

And if you’re still curious about what you can do to curb burnout and start the year (semi) fresh, check out this quick hits list from Erayna Sargent, via SNP’s own Jessica Thrasher.

If you’re hitting the ground walking in 2022, this drink’s for you. Set your own pace. Carve your own path. And shake up the year in your own, unique way. 

Check out our other Winning Ingredients blogs for successful leadership recipes.