With visions of sugar plums (and New Year’s hangovers) still swirling around your head, it can be hard to ease back into a Monday morning mindset. But work awaits, so that means you’ll need to find ways to make the process less painful. When you’re looking to ease back into work after the holidays, try these tips — they just might work for you.
Set Yourself Up For Success
You’ve submitted your request for some time off, and woot, it got approved. Before you start celebrating, though, block off an afternoon and organize yourself. Clear off your desk (and clean it, too), grab some folders, and file items away. Leave out only what needs to be done upon returning to the office. And be realistic about what you’re planning to do once you’re back at your desk. You can easily overwhelm yourself trying to do it all, and all at once. Only address the most pressing deadlines first — the rest can wait.
Take Frequent Breaks
Just because you spent the week off with your kids doesn’t mean that you owe it to your boss to work yourself into the ground. Take breaks (about every 45 minutes or so) so that you can give yourself a mental reset. Get up, stretch your legs, or even get outside for a few minutes for some fresh air. It can be enough to give you a much-needed second wind.
Answer Only The Most Important Emails
You sign into your email, and what awaits you is an overflowing inbox littered with annoying red exclamation marks. Sure, it’s not hard to get sucked into an email-answering vortex, but responding to everyone else’s work needs means that you might not have a chance to tackle yours. Give your inbox a quick sweep to see what really needs to get done so the only emails you’re sending out are yours.
Use Half Days
Monday mornings seem to have a certain amount of dread attached to them (hello, Sunday night scaries), and that can be amplified after a holiday break. If you have unused vacay days that rolled over into the New Year, now’s the time to use them. Instead of working an 8-hour day, make your day work for you. That might mean a late start or the afternoon off, but either way, it’ll make easing back into the office after the holidays a whole lot easier.
Focus On The Positive
Feeling the back-to-work blues? It could be because you’re focusing on the parts of your job that give you stress (like having that report ready for your boss before noon.) Think about what you love about work—like the sweet colleague in the next cube, or that cup of coffee that somehow gives you that boost you need to start the day—to help you have a happier first day back.