5 Ways to Come Back Ready for Work After a Vacation
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Table Of Contents
Going on a vacation can be so much fun! And it can be good for your well-being too! If you want to know why just click right here.
Just the mere notion of taking a vacation makes us think about sunny beaches and refreshing margaritas in our hands, or a cozy evening beside a fireplace in a remote ski resort. However, going back to work after taking a vacation may trigger similar feelings as being hungover. Just think about it: you were having so much fun, and everything seemed so perfect, and in one moment: Boom! You’re again on a bus, back to the grey reality of an office. Can you relate to this? We sure can!
As we already know how hard it can be to come back into the work game straight from the vacation, we prepared for you 5 ways to come back ready for work after a vacation. So, hop on!
Do it progressively
Just like with the exercises. If you were skipping the gym or were too inactive, you wouldn’t start with 100 push-ups immediately, right? It’s the same with coming back to work from a vacation. Every one of us needs some time to get back into shape. For an easier post-vacation day at work, we recommend you take a day or two to relax and recover before heading back into the office.
Give yourself time to switch the context. You can spend a whole day in the house doing some laid-back activities such as watching a movie or having a homemade dinner with your friends and family.
Stay Hydrated & Drink Caffeine
We don’t want to sound like your parents, but this is actually great advice to have in mind when coming back to work after a vacation. If you didn’t take some time to rest before heading to work, then you might feel tired or grumpy because of a jet-lag, or simply because all of the vacation excitement is starting to wear off. Drinking tea and water will help you stay hydrated, and it can elevate alertness. Coffee, on the other side, will make you go through your first day at work by keeping you awake. If you scroll through the internet, you may find that there are plenty of herbs when consumed as a tea, that can help you regain mental focus and clarity of mind and relieve any anxiety you might feel by going on the first day at work. Sounds reasonable?
Strategize your tasks
And this one you can do in three ways: before you go on vacation, the day or morning before returning to work. Planning your day can help to ease up any post-vacation trauma you may experience. Make a to-do list of everything you need to do when you get back to work and prioritize what needs to be done. And if you decide to do this on the morning of your return, make sure you leave enough space to be alone with your thoughts.
When choosing which task you should do first, try the ones you were doing right before taking a vacation because they will give you a sense of normality. Focus more on doing what you know and what can be done quickly and without shedding a tear, and remember: tomorrow will be much easier.
Be sneaky with your “out of the office” emails
Your out-of-office response is your first line of, and you should turn it into an advantage. If you are one of those people who have crazy amounts of emails daily, then you should definitely consider your “out of the office” reply until you’re finished catching up on what you missed while you were on vacation. Your colleagues will, of course, know that you’re available but it will help stem the tidal wave of outside inquiries.
Go home on time
No matter how much piled up work there is, you should never, ever, ever try to stay late at work trying to catch up on a week’s worth of work. It’s just not possible. Working a few more extra hours on your first day at work may just cause you to burn out. So, when you come back from your holidays remember to take it easy and leave your work on time. Understood?
Going on a vacation is amazing, but all of us suffer from post-vacation blues. Don’t be anxious to come back to the office. We gave you valuable tips for surviving a post-vacation period at work and if you follow them going back to work will be so easy you won’t feel it.
Ana Mladenovic
A cat enthusiast and a cupcake maniac, Ana is a freelance Content Writer passionate about HR, productivity, and team management topics. When she’s not at her keyboard, you can find Ana in the kitchen, trying to make delicious cookies.
