January can be tough. A combination of debt, cold weather, time since Christmas, low motivation and failed New Year’s resolutions sees the most depressing day of the year fell on 21 January this year. And while we know Blue Monday is just a concept, finding the enthusiasm to power through work after a long holiday can make January seem particularly gloomy.
With more employees looking to climb the career ladder in 2019, manage work-life balance and increase happiness, Insightlink together with Instant Offices 
give eight simple ways on how to crush the career blues and start January off with some positive changes:
1. Ask for an Increase
If you’re committed to your job but need more to keep you motivated, it’s definitely time to stop stalling and ask for a raise. Don’t turn the conversation into an ultimatum – if you’re happy with your career but not the pay, make sure to communicate that clearly.
2. Find a Mentor
Take charge of your career track this year by finding a mentor willing to share their insights and experience. In addition to guiding you on career growth and decision making, their constructive feedback can help you expand your skill set. Fortune 500 companies understand the value of mentorship – 71% offer formal mentoring programs to their employees.
3. Get Involved in Teamwork
Volunteer to take on a challenging client project or pitch internal projects with coworkers. Collaboration and teamwork can increase creativity, help strengthen relationships, create a more positive work environment and boost confidence. Some studies also suggest team partnerships can increase productivity at work.
4. Stay Busy
Boredom at work is a significant source of stress and can lead to depression and disinterest. Ensure you take regular breaks during long tasks, but during quiet periods, keep yourself busy by learning a new skill or pursuing personal goals that can assist with your career.
5. Upskill Yourself
Increase your value at work by learning a new skill. Research by World Economic Forum shows that over a third (35%) of skills that are considered important today will change in five years.
6. Use Vacation Days
Perhaps you want to save time off for a long holiday later in the year, or simply feel you don’t have enough time for a break, but taking regular holidays throughout the year will help you feel refreshed, relaxed and more productive.
7. Prioritise Mental Health
It is imperative to recognise the signs that your mental health may be under pressure and to ensure you de-stress regularly.
8. Step Out of the Office
No more lunch at your desk in 2019. It’s not natural to stay seated for so long, and research shows pend around nine hours a day sitting down at work – a sedentary lifestyle that takes its toll on our health. Reducing the amount of time you stay seated can do wonders for your productivity, as well as physical and mental health.
Take charge of your happiness and be proactive by contributing to a work environment that sees you excel rather than be demotivated in 2019.
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About Insightlink:
Insightlink Communications is a leader in full service employee surveys and offers a range of employee survey products and services to fit their client's needs. With over 18 years of experience, Insightlink's reputation has been built on giving organizations the knowledge they need to create effective change using their acclaimed employee research, analytics, benchmarking and survey methodologies. Insightlink's expertise in data collection reporting and analytics takes the pressure off organizations that find data overwhelming and daunting creating reports that are digestible and understandable, simple and easy to understand for organizations of any size and experience level. For more information please contact Lynn Gore at 866-802-8095 ext 705 or visit our website here.
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The Instant Group: Flexible Workspace Specialists
Founded in 1999, The Instant Group is a workspace innovation company that rethinks workspace on behalf of its clients injecting flexibility, reducing cost and driving enterprise performance. Instant places more than 7,000 companies a year in flexible workspace such as serviced, managed or co-working offices including Sky, Network Rail, Capita, Serco, Teleperformance, and Worldpay, making it the market leader in flexible workspace. For more information, visit www.theinstantgroup.com.
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