The holiday period was amazing. You had fun with friends and family and you lost track of time because you had all the time in the world to enjoy yourself. However, it is time to go back to work and contribute to the growth of the society as well as your own personal growth. Going back to work can be a challenge after a restful or fun-filled holiday season.
You know you need the job but you would rather rest a little longer. An extra week of holiday would not be too bad but you have KPIs and personal goals to meet so work you must. The first day of work was long and slow and you had struggles waking up. Well, as much as it is not the best experience, here is how you can make a smooth transition back to work and settle down faster.
Settle back in gradually
The process of going back to work can be painful but you can make it enjoyable by taking it in stride. Take a rest just before the resumption date. Once you go back to work, do not dive into your work like you never left. Instead, take this time to plan for the year or the quarter. Put your house (job) in order and ensure that you are not exerting yourself too much.
Move back gradually by planning and then executing the tasks in a gradual manner. By the second week, you will have adjusted well and you will be ready to hit all your targets without any problem.
Conduct an assessment of the previous year/ quarter
This is the time to do an audit of how the previous year or quarter was. During the first week, take the time to see how things went, what you accomplished, what you did not, what needs work, and what failed. This way, you will be bringing your body and mind back to work gradually as it will also be helpful to you when you are drawing this year’s plans.
The idea here is to reactivate yourself so that you do not feel ambushed. It is also likely that you never assessed the previous year before you left for the holidays because the excitement just could not let you. Take this time when your energy levels are down to do what you should have done before going for the holidays.
Socialise with your colleagues
You have been away from your colleagues for about a week or 2, during which you have been partying hard or taking a deserved rest. Well, now you need to reconnect and work together and naturally, you will be spending a lot of time together. Studies show that good social relationships enhance mental and physical health and this is exactly what you need for a fruitful year ahead.
Take this time to interact with your colleagues, find out how their holidays were and share your experiences. It may sound trivial but it helps in making the day shorter.
Set a routine
Routines are boring and they most often than not can show a lack of creativity. However, this regimen is meant to make the process of going back to work simpler and less painful.
With a routine, your body finds it easy to readjust to the normal system and you can change this routine once you have comfortably settled back to work.
To make it work for you, create an enjoyable pattern, in order to make it more enjoyable to follow. As part of your practice, have a scheduled time for sleeping and waking up so that your discipline can improve. During the holidays, you probably slept and woke up as you pleased but you do not have that luxury anymore. Having a specific time for retiring to bed and waking up, sets your body into a rhythm and you will not have such a hard time getting out of bed in the morning. You are also less likely to be cranky throughout the day.
Be active
It may be hard because all you want to do is continue resting, if you were resting during the holidays, or take a rest, if you were not resting, after the eventful holiday you had. However, slacking around will not help you. Take part in office activities. Plan the year ahead, start working gradually and make sure you are not just sitting around and waiting for 5 o’clock to leave work.
An active mind will easily shift back to work and it will almost feel like you never left. Letting your mind relax and still live in the holiday season will only make it hard to readjust and settle back to work.
Do something you enjoy after work
The cold-turkey approach to going back to work can take a toll on your body. To make it easy for you, take some time after work to do something you enjoy. Going back to work should not mean that all the fun ceases. It simply means that moderation now rules your fun moments.
Since you are still trying to get off the extreme partying mode, a gradual process makes it easier. It is also good for your health since all work and no play is not good for your health. A routine of some measured enjoyable activity after work can also set the stage for a successful year of work-life balance.
Appreciate the fact that you have work to come back to
Think of all the things that make your job enjoyable. You enjoy what you do, you enjoy making a difference, it pays your bills, and most importantly, it affords you those enjoyable holidays. With this in mind, you will appreciate the fact that your job does not just give you a place to go spend the day.
Admit to yourself that the holiday was great but it had to come to an end. You will find going back to work a lot easier when you appreciate that it is inevitable.
Clean up your emails
It is likely that you will find your inbox full and with so much waiting for you. Well, since you are still trying to get into the right frame of mind, reading your emails and responding to them is a great way to settle back in. It forms part of the gradual process of settling back in.
You will be busy and the process makes going back to work feel natural as you have been receiving and responding to happy holidays texts during the entire holiday season. It also helps you identify what is urgent and plays an important role when planning and prioritising tasks.
Let the blues wear off slowly
Finally, nothing lasts forever. Not even the terrible feeling you are carrying around right now. After one week, you will likely get over the blues and settle back to work very easily.
Do not be too hard on yourself if you are finding it hard to go back to work quickly. Your body is not a robot so after a while, everything will fall into place and you will find yourself doing the job easily and waking up will not feel so challenging anymore.
Happy New Year and Happy Back-To-Work!
