How to survive going back to work after vacation

After you have called the hotel over your first morning coffee to see if your room is available for a few more days and thoroughly studied the real estate ad on the coast for a potential new home, you come to terms with the fact that you cannot extend your vacation indefinitely and accept reality.

Welcome your post-vacation blues.

Doctors don't have an official name for it. There is nothing special about the official manual on mental disorders. But social media calls this feeling #backtoworkblues or #holidayblues.

What exactly is this post-holiday anxiety? After an incredible two or more weeks without work and daily responsibilities, returning to reality and the workplace can be difficult for most people. Even if you really love your job, most people find it difficult to get back into the daily pace. You are once again faced with fatigue, the daily routine of household duties and the stress of paying loans, bills and cards that you partially burdened on vacation.

How can you ease post-holiday anxiety and make the transition to the workplace smoother?

Here are some tips.

Create a schedule for the first working day very easily

A business breakfast with a client and six hours of Zoom meetings while your brain is still foggy with beach visions is not the description of an ideal first day on the job. Before you go on vacation, organize the morning of your first day at work so that you have space and time to calmly check all emails and update yourself with tasks. Clean up and review your inbox. Turn on options for grouping conversations and organizing messages in the inbox.

Schedule project updates and discussions with team members

For these meetings to be effective, provide an agenda. Then ask your team members to fill out a template information, resolution and decision agenda before the meeting.

Example:

A quick update on projects, tasks, events, and meetings that happened while you were away that you need to know about but don't require your involvement.

Summarizing the issues, challenges, or obstacles your team encountered while you were away that required your knowledge and/or assistance to resolve.

Tasks and decisions that you have to analyze and make yourself are at the top of the priorities.

Look at the ROI (return on investment) of your work

A change of scenery can offer a new perspective on our usual routine. While your brain is still fresh, take the time to evaluate how you spend your time and energy. Do all the meetings on your calendar have a clear goal and require your presence to achieve it? Have you been overcome by feelings of "guilt" or "need" and accepted invitations, events or meetings that are not in line with your priorities and goals? 

Are there any tasks on your to-do list that are outdated, unnecessary, or could be automated? Are there meetings, projects and tasks that are not worth the time and energy you invest in them? For some of these items, you may need to get creative and try a different approach to solving them. You should eliminate the others completely.

Use your travel time from vacation to vacation

Depending on how far you are traveling, you may have a convenient time frame for a brief while traveling to and from your vacation destination. If someone else is driving or, for example, you are flying, use this time to prepare for the week ahead. Read your due email. Review your calendar and to-do list and prioritize what you want to tackle first. Simplify the household chores that await you by making a grocery list. Or order groceries online before you return and have them delivered when you get home. If you are driving yourself home, consider returning home at noon instead of in the evening. Use your afternoon to catch up on emails, household chores, and mentally prepare for the week ahead.

Remind yourself of the bigger picture and focus on defining (or redefining) your WHY

What is your purpose in what you do? You should keep your motives and goals clearly defined, year after year of work. Returning to work after the holidays is a great occasion for such clarity and contemplation about the purpose behind the business.

Reconnect with colleagues at work

Try to build valuable relationships with co-workers, colleagues and even clients. Invite them to lunch or a break, or suggest joint activities such as volunteering, some sport or entertainment. These positive actions and activities will help you see the work environment in a positive light.

Use your fresh creativity to make changes for the better

If you can, take on new work projects or explore ways to perform tasks more efficiently. Self-assigned challenges create great motivation for productivity and improving focus.

Take time to take care of yourself

Scheduling lunch, exercise or a walk in nature with friends are good methods of gathering energy and positivity to counteract post-vacation anxiety. It is extremely important for your mental health to maintain a balance between work, family obligations and self-care.

Focus on the present moment

Instead of thinking about how much better it would be if you were still on vacation, accept that vacation is over and that you have wonderful memories that will keep you positive throughout the year. Focus on your current and future career goals, you will live in the present, not the past.

While most workers experience similar emotions about returning to work, not everyone will understand exactly how you feel. You may not find the sympathy and understanding of all colleagues, which can further contribute to the negative perception of the workplace. However, this does not change your subjective feelings. 

Confide in colleagues who are close to you and work on positive thinking.