{"id":2366,"date":"2020-01-03T14:30:33","date_gmt":"2020-01-03T12:30:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bmkedev.wpengine.com\/?p=2366"},"modified":"2022-10-17T14:42:09","modified_gmt":"2022-10-17T12:42:09","slug":"return-to-work-after-holiday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/return-to-work-after-holiday","title":{"rendered":"Going Back To Work Smoothly After The Holidays"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69f80aabe0e6d\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69f80aabe0e6d\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/return-to-work-after-holiday\/#Settle_back_in_gradually\" >Settle back in gradually<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/return-to-work-after-holiday\/#Conduct_an_assessment_of_the_previous_year_quarter\" >Conduct an assessment of the previous year\/ quarter<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/return-to-work-after-holiday\/#Socialise_with_your_colleagues\" >Socialise with your colleagues<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/return-to-work-after-holiday\/#Set_a_routine\" >Set a routine<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/return-to-work-after-holiday\/#Be_active\" >Be active<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/return-to-work-after-holiday\/#Do_something_you_enjoy_after_work\" >Do something you enjoy after work<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/return-to-work-after-holiday\/#Appreciate_the_fact_that_you_have_work_to_come_back_to\" >Appreciate the fact that you have work to come back to<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/return-to-work-after-holiday\/#Clean_up_your_emails\" >Clean up your emails<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/return-to-work-after-holiday\/#Let_the_blues_wear_off_slowly\" >Let the blues wear off slowly<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Settle_back_in_gradually\"><\/span>Settle back in gradually<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8688\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Settle-back-in-nicely_1200by630.png\" alt=\"going back work holidays\" width=\"1200\" height=\"630\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Settle-back-in-nicely_1200by630.png 1200w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Settle-back-in-nicely_1200by630-378x198.png 378w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Settle-back-in-nicely_1200by630-1024x538.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Settle-back-in-nicely_1200by630-770x404.png 770w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Settle-back-in-nicely_1200by630-600x315.png 600w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Settle-back-in-nicely_1200by630-390x205.png 390w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conduct_an_assessment_of_the_previous_year_quarter\"><\/span>Conduct an assessment of the previous year\/ quarter<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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\u2019s plans.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Socialise_with_your_colleagues\"><\/span>Socialise with your colleagues<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8689\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Socialize-with-coworkers_1200by630.png\" alt=\"going back work holidays\" width=\"1200\" height=\"630\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Socialize-with-coworkers_1200by630.png 1200w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Socialize-with-coworkers_1200by630-378x198.png 378w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Socialize-with-coworkers_1200by630-1024x538.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Socialize-with-coworkers_1200by630-770x404.png 770w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Socialize-with-coworkers_1200by630-600x315.png 600w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Socialize-with-coworkers_1200by630-390x205.png 390w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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. <\/span><a class=\"article-body-links\"href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3150158\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Studies<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> show that good social relationships enhance mental and physical health and this is exactly what you need for a fruitful year ahead.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Set_a_routine\"><\/span>Set a routine<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2369\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Going-Back-To-Work-Smoothly-After-The-Holidays_infographic.png\" alt=\"Going back to work\" width=\"848\" height=\"277\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Going-Back-To-Work-Smoothly-After-The-Holidays_infographic.png 848w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Going-Back-To-Work-Smoothly-After-The-Holidays_infographic-770x252.png 770w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Going-Back-To-Work-Smoothly-After-The-Holidays_infographic-390x127.png 390w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Be_active\"><\/span>Be active<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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\u2019clock to leave work.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_something_you_enjoy_after_work\"><\/span>Do something you enjoy after work<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Appreciate_the_fact_that_you_have_work_to_come_back_to\"><\/span>Appreciate the fact that you have work to come back to<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8690\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Appreciate-your-job_1200by630.png\" alt=\"going back work holidays\" width=\"1200\" height=\"630\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Appreciate-your-job_1200by630.png 1200w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Appreciate-your-job_1200by630-378x198.png 378w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Appreciate-your-job_1200by630-1024x538.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Appreciate-your-job_1200by630-770x404.png 770w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Appreciate-your-job_1200by630-600x315.png 600w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Appreciate-your-job_1200by630-390x205.png 390w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Clean_up_your_emails\"><\/span>Clean up your emails<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It also helps you identify what is urgent and plays an important role when planning and prioritising tasks.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Let_the_blues_wear_off_slowly\"><\/span>Let the blues wear off slowly<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Happy New Year and Happy Back-To-Work!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":8686,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,13],"tags":[],"content_author":[],"class_list":["post-2366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career-development","category-life-at-work"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2366"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2366\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8686"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2366"},{"taxonomy":"content_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content_author?post=2366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}