Beachgoers and holidaymakers rejoice - summer is coming. Photo / Alan Gibson
Beachgoers and holidaymakers rejoice - summer is coming. Photo / Alan Gibson
As long summer days on the beach draw to an end, Kiwis could be forgiven for having a dose of the back-to-work blues.
Trading in the sun, sea, backyard barbies and a game of backyard cricket for your office desk and a backlog of emails can feel like the endof the world - but it doesn't have to be all doom and gloom.
With many heading back to work tomorrow, psychotherapist and co-host on the Newstalk ZB mental health awareness show The Nutters Club Kyle MacDonald has provided a guide to coping with post-holiday depression.
Psychotherapist Kyle MacDonald said it is quite natural to feel blue after a long, summer holiday. Photo / Supplied
MacDonald said it is natural to feel flat, sluggish and disillusioned after a break spent with family and all the freedom in the world.
"The adjustment of going back to work can be a tough one."
And with the election of Donald Trump among global issues bearing down on us like a freight train, it seems works is not the only thing leaving us demoralised.
"We have a responsibility to know what is going on in the world but if you find these things are really getting you down, tune out," said MacDonald.
1. Make plans As much as possible have things to look forward to, even if it is as simple as a trip to the beach on the weekend.
2. Get some fresh air Get out of the office during your breaks to soak up some sun and breathe in fresh air. MacDonald said it is also important for people to ensure they are taking these breaks.
3. Healthy routines Put an end to holiday eating and drinking habits. Kick start the new year by eating well and exercising.
4. Decisions, decisions As many think about throwing in their jobs to live a life on the beach, MacDonald warns against making rash decisions. Take a week or two to settle back in to work before making any major decisions.
Here are 10 great things Kiwis can look forward to in 2017
1. Summer finally arriving
Beachgoers and holidaymakers rejoice - summer is coming.
Mixed festive season weather put a dampener on the Christmas holidays for some, but things are looking up.
Long summer days are on the way. Photo / Alan Gibson
MetService meteorologist Lisa Murray said statistically and historically the best weather arrives in February every year.
2. Lions Tour The excitement is building ahead of the 2017 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand. The Lions will be fighting for the first series win on our shores since 1971.
On their first tour here since 2005 the lions will play 10 matches, including three against the All Blacks.
The tour will take place in June and July. Matches are being played in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Whangarei and Rotorua, giving everyone a chance to catch a glimpse of the action.
3. Lorde's new album The drought is almost over. It looks like Lorde will gift us with her second album in 2017, almost four years after she released her debut Pure Heroine.
The 20-year-old was putting the finishing touches on her as-yet untitled album in America last year.
Lorde's long-awaited album will likely be released this year. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Lorde has been hinting for over a year on social media that her hotly anticipated album is on the way, calling the lyrics "the best I've written in my life". The Grammy-winning artist's last update on the record came in November.
"You'll have to hold on. The big day is not tomorrow, or even next month, realistically, but soon. I know you understand."
4. World Masters Games The world's largest multi-sport event will be held in Auckland in April.
Auckland will host 25,000 athletes from 100 countries, competing in 28 different sports and 45 disciplines. The event will have a distinctly Kiwi feel with waka ama and Weta trimaran sailing on the list of sports.
Outside the field of play, participants and the public can enjoy food and entertainment at the official Games Entertainment Hub on Queens Wharf.
The songstress caused a ticket-buying frenzy and tickets for her first two shows sold out in 23 minutes. Tickets to her third show sold out in under an hour.
More than 40,000 people are expected at each show at Mt Smart Stadium. Adele's New Zealand show will be the final stop on her 2017 world tour of her third album, 25.
March 23, 25 and 26 Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland
6. America's Cup
Emirates Team New Zealand will compete in the 35th America's Cup in Bermuda this year. Photo / ACEA
The 35th America's Cup will take place on the Great Sound of Bermuda for the first time this year. Five teams made up of the best sailors in the world will challenge defending champs Oracle Team USA for the cup.
7. Sir David Attenborough - A Quest for Life Legendary naturalist and documentary maker Sir David Attenborough will appear for the first time in New Zealand next month.
Sir David Attenborough will host his first live stage show in Auckland this year. Getty Images Canvas u
In his sold-out show A Quest for Life, Attenborough will discuss his career and the changes he has witnessed to the natural world since the 1950s.
February 1 and 2 The Civic, Auckland
8. General Election The country gets to choose the next Government before Christmas rolls around again.
The 2017 election contest has been dramatically changed by John Key's shock resignation. The election date is yet to be announced.
9. Back-to-back long weekends The holidays aren't over just yet. Aucklanders will enjoy two long weekends in a row as Waitangi Day and Auckland Anniversary Day quickly approach.
