The holiday season is a wonderful and joyful time. We spend so much time in celebratory gatherings with friends and family, feasting on mouth-watering meals, and sporting almost only loose pants at all times. Perhaps, we have now forgotten how it feels to have a job.
As the break comes to an end, we will return to the rhythm of ‘please find attached’ – it’s a swift change of pace, and not exactly one that we desire. This switch promises to be difficult as we struggle to deal with the ‘post-holiday blues.’
Now, our immediate concern is how to return to our workplace after the holiday bliss to begin plugging away at the office desk again, and pick up where we left off. Here are a few tips that will help you transition smoothly to work after the holidays.
Tips for a Seamless Transition to Work After the Holidays
As the holidays come to an end, it is time to go back to work. How do you make the transition from your relaxation and fun time to the daily rigours of work-life? Here are some strategies to help you deal with the ‘post-holiday blues’ to return to work comfortably.
1. Delegate Tasks Before Leaving
Planning your return to work begins even before taking that vacation. Delegating time-sensitive tasks is a great way to leave work for holidays. After all, failure to do so will lead to a challenging return to work.
After resumption, no one wants to start scrambling to get overdue duties sorted, when they should be easing themselves back to work instead. Furthermore, if you do not entrust these tasks to another capable hand, you may end up working during your vacation.
2. Clean Up Your Workspace Upon Return
Indeed, there will be a lot of work to do when you return to your office. However, you do not have to dive right into these tasks immediately. Instead, try to clean up your desk and reorganize your workspace before anything.
Reports even suggest that cleaning can be therapeutic, so much so that it helps you adjust to your work environment conveniently.
3. Reorganize Your Workspace
Coming back to the same office setup after a long vacation is not necessarily bad. However, rearranging your furniture and work equipment creates the illusion of a new environment. This may create a feeling of excitement to enhance your readiness to work.
Also, you can achieve the same effect by switching out old office furniture for a new one. You can check FlexiSpot’s catalog for high-quality office furniture.
4. Get Back at Least a Day Before Work
You should clear up a day for yourself, preferably somewhere between the day you return from vacation and your first day back at work. This extra day can be used to clean up, catch a breath, or prepare your mind for work. Moreover, this practice can help to take you off the high of your vacation, making it easier to return to work.
5. Get a Work Update
While this can be dependent on your role at work, you should ask for a lowdown on work proceedings while you were away. This information could come from a secretary or manager.
That said, you should make sure to do this at least a day before resumption. Knowing everything that happened in your absence and getting abreast with ongoing projects will help you focus your attention on the right things.
6. Sort Your Emails
After a long vacation, you can expect to return to a full work email box. Instinctively, you will want to start replying and emptying your inbox, but that should not be the case.
First and foremost, before responding to any email, sort them into categories based on importance. By doing so, you will be relieved of stress, and be able to properly respond to each message in due time.
7. Create a To-do List
When you return to work, make a to-do list. Make sure to arrange tasks in their order of importance. Now, adopting this practice in the early days of resumption will help you stay focused.
Another useful tip is to complete your tasks in the same order that you assigned them. While this may appear to be a laborious process, it is helpful.
8. Avoid or Don’t Schedule Meetings
If possible, avoid having meetings immediately after returning to work. All meetings should be scheduled at least two days after the holidays. This gives you ample time to settle in your workplace before engaging in any serious discussions.
9. Prioritize Your Work
While you may have a host of regular extra-curricular activities you engage in, it may be best to put them on hold for the time-being. Instead, you should focus all your attention on office work. Then, as things return to normal, you can reintroduce these extra activities back into your routine.
Final Words
Returning to work after the holidays can be a difficult transition, but with strategic planning and preparation, you can get through it easily. As you resume, try not to juggle multiple tasks at once, neither should you set unrealistic goals for yourself.
Indeed, after being away from work for a long time, there will be a lot to do on returning to the office. However, try not to rush things, take your time as you readapt to the pace of everyday office work.
