The holiday is over and as expected, for some of us, we don’t want it to come to an end. The countless days spent waking up late, doing a movie marathon, snuggling in bed, binge eating. Heck! even deciding not to bathe after long hours, are all the perks that come during a long break such as this.
While unwinding feels great and you’re enjoying yourself, it’s easy to lose track of time and when the holiday comes to an abrupt halt, it hits you with the uncomfortable realization that the break is over and it’s time to get back to work.
For most people, making the transition from the holiday to work can be tough and may not be an event to look up to with enthusiasm. However, this shouldn’t be the case if you avoid certain mistakes that would make work feel over your head and have you stressing out on your first day at the office.
Here are 5 things you should not do when you get back to work. These tips will help smoothen your re-entry and activate your work grind.
Returning without a plan
Like the saying goes, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. Going back to work after a vacation can be nerve-racking and just the thought of the days ahead can put you in a panic mode. But planning in time, knowing your next agenda will ease the workload and make you better prepared so that you’re not completely caught off guard for anything.
Make a prioritized list of tasks. Review your emails or notepads, there could be projects you were probably working on before the break, make a conscious effort to make them a priority and complete it. As you’ve been away from your desk for some time, you’ll most likely need little reminders of your work schedule; briefly review your calendar as well, scan your calendar for the next couple of weeks to get an idea for the next meetings, the due date for a project and other work engagements.
Making unrealistic New Year resolutions
From 1
st January of the year, it seems like the appropriate time to start over with a clean slate. But most New Year’s resolutions don’t last, some might be because we get distracted along the way, while some are because of inconsistency.
Whatever the case, for you to be able to stick to a New Year resolution long-term, the most important thing to do is to define your goals. If you plan on being more productive, define what a productive day or week really looks like and make attainable steps to achieve it. Be specific about your goals, have a few strategies to go about achieving them – ensure it’s not too bulky, this way it helps you stay committed to it.
Don’t assume everyone is rejuvenated
Getting back to work after a long break is not like going back after a typical Monday – its way harder. You have to get back to the reality of long working hours and forget the most delightful time of the year, so it’s time for work mood to be activated.
You might be refreshed and ready to go, but your colleagues might still be recovering from the entire groove. Get a feel of what they were up to during the holidays, asking specific questions would help you be at the same pace with them and propels the success of your team.
Tidy your workspace and avoid pileup
After the holiday break it might take a while to get back to your daily routine, so before you’re covered with a bunch of work duties, take a few minutes and attend to previous tasks, emails and get rid of a clogged mailbox. There are probabilities that you’ll be greeted by lots of unopened emails and other office items waiting at your desk. The longer you ignore them, the more likely it piles up as time goes by, and you’ll start to feel overwhelmed by the amount of task you have to complete.
Avoid work until the morning of…
This especially happens when we refuse to accept that the enjoyment period is a wrap. Refusing to think about work until the first morning of resumption, can make it harder for you to get back to the work mindset, and get a grip on things. To successfully transition from holiday mode to work mode; take the night before the work-week starts and prepare yourself.
Bring out your office clothes, iron them if you have to, plan your morning breakfast, lunch and otherwise. Jot down a few work-related goals you hope to achieve by the end of the day. Little work-related behaviours such as these, are cues that tell you it’s time to get back to work.
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This article was first published on 8th January 2018
beckonoise
Becky Onoise is a psychologist, chocolate junkie, and puppy lover. A writer who is sorry... not sorry about correcting your grammar. She's a word enthusiast and aims to achieve her goals. Instagram handle @mz_berkey
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