The stretch between New Year’s and mid-January can feel long and grey. People come back into work trying to adjust after time off, and often it takes a while to get back into a steady pace. Sound familiar? That sluggish start isn’t unusual, but if left alone, it can drag on longer than expected. It doesn’t take much for a settled team to start feeling a bit disconnected. That’s where steady routines and focused team engagement activities can help. Giving people something shared to reconnect with does more than wake them up from a festive daze. It helps bring energy and intent back into their week. This matters more than ever just after the holidays, when enthusiasm has dipped and motivation needs a spark.
What Causes Team Engagement to Dip in January?
January can hit hard. There’s the cold, short days, the credit card bills and the return to everyday pattern after time off. Resuming work, projects and daily tasks can all feel slower without the rhythm teams had built before the break. A few things usually feed into the drop we see in team energy:
• Everyone’s routine has been broken and it takes time to get back into a flow
• The daylight hours are short, the mornings are dark and the winter weather in the UK doesn’t offer much to look forward to
• People shift from the fun and excitement of holidays straight back into deadlines and desk work
All of this shows up differently across teams. Where things were once clicking, now meetings might feel a bit awkward and the overall energy of the team struggles to pick up again. Without anything to relight the spark, January can stretch into a very sluggish start to the year.
Recognising the Signs Your Team Is Disconnected
It’s not always obvious when a team is feeling off. Sometimes, it’s not one big thing, just a slow-down in the way people show up and interact. But paying attention to the small signs can help you act early before it becomes a bigger issue. Some of the more common signals include:
• People speaking up less in group meetings or not offering ideas
• A dip in collaborative effort or enthusiasm across shared projects
• Slower responses to shared communication like chats or emails
• A general pull-back in energy, like people doing their bit but not looking to do more
These changes aren’t always deliberate. Sometimes people just need help finding their rhythm again. What feels like disinterest might just be people needing a reminder that they’re valued, connected and working as part of a shared team again.
How Team Engagement Activities Can Rebuild Momentum
Getting everyone moving in the same direction after the new year doesn’t mean launching big changes or stretching an already full workload. Sometimes what helps most are simple, focused ideas that pull people a little bit outside their usual roles and give them a reason to connect again.
When done right, team engagement activities:
• Break the ice again after time apart, helping colleagues reconnect in a relaxed way
• Give people something fun and low-pressure to take part in together
• Create opportunities to rebuild trust and bring forward people’s strengths in a different setting
In the middle of winter, we don’t always want to push teams outdoors. We offer indoor team building experiences such as Beat the Box, Big Picture and The Infinite Loop that bring people together to solve challenges and communicate under time pressure. That’s why many January options are easy to run indoors or within a typical office space. They give people a break from day-to-day work tasks and can help shift momentum back to shared goals by reminding everyone how good it feels to solve something together.
Making January Feel Motivating Again
Part of keeping motivation steady after the holidays comes from a sense of shared direction. Not every team needs a big launch or new project to get on track, but they do need something to aim for.
We often find that energy builds when teams know:
• What the focus is for this quarter and why it matters
• That they’re working toward something that wasn’t just recycled from last year
• Small wins will be acknowledged and early effort won’t go unnoticed
Because many of our in-person and virtual experiences run for between 1 and 4 hours and can support from 10 to 500+guests, they can be built into the first weeks of the year as regular touchpoints without overwhelming people’s schedules.
Celebrating progress in winter doesn’t need big banners or shout-outs. Sharing appreciation or nodding to what’s gone well can help sustain energy in quieter months. A mix of structured meetings and team-led ideas also helps. Giving teams room to bring forward their input keeps things from feeling too top-down while keeping everyone tuned into the bigger picture.
A Fresh Start Begins with a Connected Team
After the break, we all need a little time to find our stride again. That’s natural. But letting that lull linger too long can pull people apart just when we need to be coming back together. Good engagement never happens by accident, and the start of a new year offers the perfect chance to lead with intention.
When we make time for connection, energy follows. With focus and care, we can take teams from holiday quiet to early-year momentum with a few clear steps and a bit of patience. Teams need a reason to care again, and when that’s clear, the motivation returns.
We are a UK-based corporate team building company with more than 20 years of experience delivering development experiences for organisations across the UK.
At Team Challenge Company, we understand how valuable it is to reset and reconnect as a team after a winter break. Early in the year, bringing people together with the right support can help everyone feel part of something meaningful again. To rebuild momentum in your workplace, our range of team engagement activities offers a practical and refreshing way to start the new year strong. Let’s make January the beginning of great things, contact us.