How to successfully return to work after vacation and not suffer

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Get in the loop, but don't overwhelm yourself.

It seems that you just a minute ago lay carefree on the beach. And now you are at your desk again, and only jetlag and burnt skin remind of vacation. Authors of books on work productivity told Business Insider how to make it easier to start working days.

1. Start early

To make your first day of work after your vacation as easy as possible, prepare ahead of time. This is the advice of Lynn Taylor, author of How to Tame Your Office Tyrant. In the evening, do not put off going to bed, and the next day, come to the office early. As long as you are not distracted, you can handle some of the day's work.

2. Do not take on many tasks at once

Don't plan many meetings and deadlines for this day. “Ideally, there should be no meetings at all on the first day,” says business speaker and author Michael Kerr. "Try to keep the whole day free to get up to speed without overworking."

Take a few minutes to plan your day, focus on the essentials, and don't be afraid to ask for help.

If a mountain of work immediately fell on you, sort the cases in importance. Deal with urgent tasks first. Think about what is most important to you, your boss, and your projects right now. Don't tackle everything that appears during the day. Ditch small tasks in favor of big goals.

3. Get up to speed

Before diving into any project, get an idea of what happened during your absence. Learn about major events and changes. This will make it easier to deal with the routine part of the work.

4. Don't go deep into the mail

This is not the best way to waste time on your first day of work. Don't confuse parsing your inbox with productivity. Only respond to urgent emails, and then do other things.

5. Remind your team and clients of yourself

Taylor advises to briefly inform your boss and colleagues what you are working on that day. Don't go into details until you are fully familiar with the matter.

Also contact major customers. Remind them that you are back and can be reached for help. This is the simplest rule of thumb, but it makes a great impression on customers.

6. Take care of yourself

After the vacation, I am tempted to immerse myself in business and work to the point of exhaustion. But with this approach, you will not only generate stress, but more likely to make mistakes. As a result, productivity will not increase, but decrease.

Be sure to take breaks, warm up, and eat well. And after work, return to your usual daily routine. Go to bed not too late.

7. Concentrate on work

On this day, everything will distract you: asking colleagues about vacations, news and updates of friends in social networks that you missed. As much as you want to catch up, don't waste your time. Focus on work.

Do not share your vacation photos with everyone, as it will distract you too. And you shouldn't boast in front of the whole office. You can share your impressions with your closest colleagues during lunch.

8. Remember the pleasant moments from the vacation

Remember that you can control your thoughts. Don't be sad about having to work again. It is better to remember with gratitude the good moments of relaxation. Try to stretch out the feeling of bliss you got on vacation.