I have just had four wonderful weeks off work but the funny thing about holidays is that no matter how long or amazing they are at some point they end and then whamo it’s Monday morning again. Now it’s not that I don’t love my job (truly guys you’re awesome) but the reality is that it’s hard to get back into the groove of work so I’ve had a bit of a brainstorm and come up with some ideas to make that transition back into work just a bit easier.
How to beat those back to work blues:
- Do a bit of pre-holiday planning. Sorry this is boring and sometimes quite hard to achieve but if you have a plan in place for how work is going to be covered while you are away there’s less chance of returning to a massive backlog …… or any nasty surprises.
- Be realistic about what you’ll achieve on day one. Don’t plan to launch a merger with google on your first day back. The first day back is for the basic stuff – adjusting your chair height, remembering your login, reacquainting yourself with the coffee machine and clearing your inbox.
- Get a new outfit. This is one of my personal favourites!!! There are never enough reasons to buy something new and what could make day one feel better than rocking a new pair of shoes or a fancy frock.
- Give yourself time to get your head back in the game. This could mean that you leave your out of office on till day two just to give you the opportunity to sort your stuff.
- Be brutal and prioritise. Don’t spend hours agonising over what to do with emails that are three weeks old. You’ll know what is important and everything else is just last year’s news.
- Organise to do something different after work; a swim at the beach, an after-work drink with a friend. Anything that is going to help you forget that you are back in the grind.
- Start planning your next holiday. The anticipation of another adventure always helps to take the sting out of returning to work.
- At the risk of sounding a bit naff, and in a direct contradiction to my general resolution never to have resolutions, day one is great day to start new habits; a tidier desk, a more organised inbox, no lunch at your desk, a morning greeting to the team, get to meetings on time (gosh that’s an ambitious list Emily). Anyway you’ll know what it is you want to change and now is a great opportunity to start as you mean to continue.
Holidays are great and I love them but working and enjoying your work are important too so hopefully one or two of these tips help you transition from the beach to the office.