January usually means back to work for many after the summer break.
While you may be recharged and ready for the year ahead, slipping back into work mode can still be a challenge. You know you have had a good break when you can’t remember your password.
You may also be heading back into the office as well after months of working from home – and the idea of going back to work can provoke anxiety, so be kind to yourself and recognise it’s OK to feel like this as you adjust to a new routine again.
Once you have swapped holiday stories with your colleagues and had your password reset, here are six of our top tips to help you keep that holiday feeling a while longer:
1. Don’t ignore your holiday
Bring some of the positive feelings you had while on holiday back to the office to keep that holiday high going. Adding a photo to your workspace can remind you of the positive energy you had which comes from taking time away to recharge.
My favourite is Izzy our office dog enjoying her break too.
2. Find your back to work excitement
Holidays are often when people begin to question their roles, what they’re doing and if they’re really happy in the work they do. Having something to look forward to can help you feel excited about returning to work after a holiday. Is there a particular project that you’re looking forward to working on, or an opportunity to become involved in a new initiative?
3. Take it slowly
Don’t try to go from 1 to 100 on your first day back, ease yourself into work gently rather than diving in headfirst without a plan. Write a to-do list of realistic tasks to be done in the first day or two.
4. Triage your inbox
Some emails in your inbox will probably need relatively immediate attention. For others, action might be required, but it can wait until later. Many, almost certainly, are just ‘FYI’ emails that require no action but that you may need to review at some point. Cut down on the size of your inbox by triaging your emails — perhaps organising them in folders that represent the action you need (or don’t need) to take.
5. Have something fun planned
You may already be booking that next holiday – even having something fun planned to look forward to after work (now we have more freedom) can help you find the energy to power through the day.
6. Consider a change
After a wonderful holiday season it is quite common to feel unsettled returning to work, especially after the year we have had. If you find the feeling isn’t fading however then it might be a sign you are ready for a change.
We are always here to have a chat to help you navigate “what’s next” or discuss your options to consider whether to stay or go.
