The thought of going back to work after the holidays is a tough thing to face. During the holiday season with Christmas and New Year’s we tend to go overboard… overeating, over-drinking and not sleeping enough. that all sets the stage for the post-holiday crash. There is nothing worse coming back to the office still recovering from all the Christmas food, mulled wine, champagne and having a full inbox to battle through. Seriously… who is sending so many emails over the holidays?
But sadly enough, the holidays are over and it’s really time to get back to the daily grind again. To help you on your way a little bit we’ve got some tips to get back into work mode again.
Be prepared for your first day back
The first day back will be a lot less stressful if you’ve gotten a good night’s sleep and have prepared everything you need the next morning so you’re not rushing and can actually get some breakfast before you start work as well.
Start early
Yes, this sounds absolutely terrible, but it is the way to do it. Not many of your colleagues are going to be in early the first day back to work, so it’s nice and quiet and you can make a head start without being disturbed. You can also crack on with some work that was left from before the holidays and won’t get disturbed with a pile of new work to do. So, go ahead and roll into the office early. It might hurt up front, but you will benefit in the long run.
Plan something to look forward to
Going back to work after the holidays is hard because it feels there won’t be any fun times ahead of you any time soon. Therefore, you need to plan something for yourself in the future that is fun. You need something you can look forward to. This can be a summer holiday, but this is still quite far away. Try to find something to look forward to every day. This can be going home after work and have a nice meal or watch a new episode of your favourite series. It doesn’t have to be anything big to get you through the day.
Little breaks
As you were in the office early you have time for a little catch up once your colleagues are coming in. Everyone always has a lot to talk about after the holidays and this kind of keeps the holiday spirit still going. And if you get this catch up out of the way early, it won’t distract you from getting distracted later in the day.
Also, getting up to walk away from your desk once an hour, helps.
Make a list
Start with making a well-organised list. Write down your entire daily routine, and break it down into a daily schedule. You know the saying, eat the frog first. But not this time. Start with some easy tasks that need to be done and save the big tasks for later or the next day once you’ve got the basics out of the way.
Having a list in front of you will not only tell you everything you need to do for the day, but will also give you the motivation to get it done!
Be optimistic
Don’t dwell. Know that something you enjoyed has come to an end, but make peace with it and know it will come back again.