After two years of battling uncertainty and the threat of the pandemic, many were left feeling drained from having to accommodate working from home and then from the office, only to be told they had to do it all over again. And so the Holidays were just the right thing to help us unwind, disconnect and forget about our worries. However, the question of whether going back into work mode will be easy or not still remains.
To help make things easier for you, we brought you 6 tips that can help you get back into work mode after the Holidays:
1. Be aware and conscious of your thoughts
Thinking about how hard it will be to wake up the next morning will not help make your transition back to work easier. It will not be easy, but all you have to do is be strict with yourself and be disciplined. Prepare yourself mentally and remember that you had your share of good times during the Holidays and now it is time to focus on work.
2. Give yourself time to adjust
Do not rush things. Allow yourself some time to adjust to being back at work. Getting organized, tidying up your space and having an early hot drink with one of your colleagues will help get you into the right mindset.
3. Do not bite more than you can chew
Some might want to get back into work and get everything done to avoid the stress that comes with having a pile of things to do. However, taking on too many things when you still did not get the chance to mentally prepare for them can make things worse. Make sure to break down the big tasks into small doable ones and take it one step at a time.
4. Set a plan
In order to make it easier for yourself to break things down into small achievable goals, make sure to set a plan for yourself for the first couple of days. Identify the most important tasks that you need to handle, rank them in order and then get working. Having a plan in front of you will help stop your mind from wandering off, as well as help you stay focused.
5. Take breaks
Taking regular breaks throughout the day can also stop you from overworking yourself or feeling overwhelmed. After spending a good number of days enjoying the Holidays, going back too strong might lead to burnout. Not only that but for workaholics like myself, being away might result in some feelings of guilt. Therefore, it is important to take breaks and get back on track slowly.
6. Do not be too hard on yourself
Most importantly, you need to be kind to yourself. You shouldn’t expect that you will pick up from where things left off before the Holidays, because chances are that is not the case. These expectations will yield disappointments that can make you feel like you are not achieving like the rest of the team is. But that is not the case. Therefore, it is instrumental to know that it is normal to need time to get familiar with things again and learn more about where things are at.
What about you? What are some ways to help you ease your way back into work mode after the Holidays? Do you have your own recipe for success already in place?
