After a much-needed, rejuvenating holiday season, it's time to recoup and accept our corporate fates. What was once a distant worry is now an imminent reality, and the "circling back" begins with a vengeance. Say goodbye to Q4 targets, and say hello to unachievable KPIs that might as well be five light-years away from you. But, hey. 2026 is the year of optimism, so employee burnout needs to take a backseat while we bask in the glory of a fresh start. A new beginning is something we all need sometimes, and what better way to get us in the right mood than to set our intentions for the year to come work-wise? The corporate gods decided that work is life, so… yeah. Pretty good place to start.
As challenging as it may seem, leaving the bad vibes in 2025 is integral to broadening your perspective. Instead of viewing unpaid overtime as a negative, consider thanking your upper management for entrusting you with more work. Instead of taking a bathroom break, hold it until the end of the day; you don't want to waste precious productivity hours on the things that don't matter. Work shouldn't change; you should.
Obviously, we're kidding. Instead of shifting your mentality to a work-forward perspective, consider compartmentalizing Severance-style. Mark S. is pretty good at it. Or, did we miss the entire point of the show… Whatever. The end of the holiday season is always the most difficult hurdle to jump over when it feels like you only just started your Christmas vacation. You have no time to spend at home with your cool new gadgets, with Microsoft Teams happily muted. This time should be spent with the loved ones you hold close! Not spent getting the Sunday scaries on a Friday afternoon…
But, c'est la vie. Mark S. had a point when he went in for the severance operation. Employee burnout will always be there, so it's best to find ways to remedy it outside of the office. Puzzles, late-night dinners with friends, and cozying up on the couch with some hot cocoa and your favorite movie. Scroll below to get yourself in the correct mental state for serenity.
