Do you feel you've had a peaceful end to the year? As the festive season approaches, many of us experience a drop in morale. We can feel tired, demotivated and stressed.

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Motivation is defined as the energy an individual can invest in order to accomplish an action. It is essential in the workplace, as it affects employee commitment, productivity and team well-being.

There are two sources of motivation at work. Intrinsic motivation is linked to the personal satisfaction we derive from performing a task. It comes from within the individual.

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Extrinsic motivation comes from external factors. These include the environment in which we evolve, our salary and recognition at work.

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Motivation fluctuates and changes on a daily basis.

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Also check out our article on "The keys for companies to nurture motivation at work."

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For a peaceful end to the year, identify the causes of demotivation

Workload and accumulated fatigue are identified as key demotivating factors. The end of the year is a time for taking stock. Added to this is the fact that the holidays mean fewer working days. The result is pressure to meet deadlines, lower productivity and general exhaustion.

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In addition, the festive season often adds social expectations, such as organizing family gatherings or respecting traditions. This can amplify stress. It's also a time for personal comparisons and assessments, which can damage self-esteem if goals aren't met.

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Finally, the winter period and all it implies: less light, shorter days, inclement weather... can have an impact on our general well-being.

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Beyond understanding them, it's important to know what causes can be acted upon to counter this drop in motivation.

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Strategies for a peaceful end to the year

Sophie Jabot, one of our network's psychologists, offers advice on how to regain balance.

Relieve your guilt

The first thing to do is to accept low morale as a normal phenomenon. You have every right to feel tired and less energetic. Then you can lower your expectations and let go of unrealistic ones, without feeling like a failure.

Daring to say no

We tend to want to say yes all the time, for fear of not being appreciated if we don't. In reality, this is clearly not the case. On the contrary, it's important to set limits to preserve our balance. This is the case in business, particularly in terms of workload, but also in the family. To encourage good communication, remember to explain the reason for your "no". You can also find a compromise with the other person by postponing the task.

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Find out more about non-violent communication in the workplace

Wellness routines and rituals

Create positive habits and take care of yourself

You can set up rituals throughout your day. Breathing techniques, a meditation session, listening to a podcast... are all examples. In this way, you give your mind a break and yourself a moment of peace.

Secondly, to avoid feeling overwhelmed, it's a good idea to take micro-breaks during the day. At work, take a few minutes to chat with a colleague, have a coffee or get some fresh air. You can also learn micro-nap techniques to incorporate into your day.

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Then, when you're not at work, make time for activities that recharge your batteries. Do you like to read, go for a walk or do manual activities? Then make time for them.

Take care of yourself by adopting a healthy lifestyle. When we don't feel well, we tend to do the opposite. Take care of your sleep and your diet. And be careful not to isolate yourself too much. While solitude is a great way to recharge your batteries, social relationships are beneficial to our mental well-being.

Celebrating small victories

Once we've completed one task, we tend to move on to the next, without taking the time to celebrate what we've done. So remember that every effort counts, and be aware that you're making progress.

Reinterpreting the year-end balance sheet

As a first step, you can replace your checklist with a more qualitative analysis. It's also a question of redefining objectives by prioritizing the essential. In business, there's the technique of SMART objectives: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound. It's easy to get the impression that every task is a priority, but there's always a hierarchy. It's also important not to focus on failures. Instead, focus on the year's successes.

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Finally, you can also use techniques such as gratitude or journaling for benevolent self-evaluation.

Finally, looking forward to the New Year with optimism can improve our well-being.