You’ve just been pampered and treated like royalty for a week (or more). Maybe you’ve been away with family, on a sun-kissed beach, or exploring new cities and cultures. It doesn’t matter if you’ve left your home; it is time to return to work after having time away from work responsibilities.
You’re home, your clothes are set out for the next day, lunch is packed, and you are setting the alarm to ensure you wake up and go to work. The switch has been flipped, and your brain is in overdrive.
The struggle is real. But returning to work after vacation doesn’t have to feel like a penalty for enjoying yourself. With a few simple strategies, you can ease yourself into the swing of things and make the transition as smooth as possible.
- Meet with the team/executive. You must know what you missed, what happened, what is a top priority, and what can wait.
While I’m not in favor of filling the first day back with meetings, this is one meeting you need to have. Make it quick, but make it happen!
- Do an inventory. Take a few minutes to sort through the email (not responding immediately to things), but instead figure out what has been taken care of, what the deadlines are, and what items are pressing. I know many of you do this the night before you return to the office (or throughout the vacation to keep on top of things). Then look at what has been dropped on your desk, is on the calendar, or anywhere else you will find items to do.
You need to contain the panic that creeps in from feeling overwhelmed or drowning in a sea of tasks. Identify what needs to be done, what the deadlines are, and then schedule them so you can feel in control.
- Be determined to keep a work-life balance when you return. It is far too easy to get into the mindset that you’ve just one more thing to do and you’ll feel better. You end up wasting all the good energy you created on vacation by feeling like you need to make up for lost time by working longer hours.
Your vacation was meant to rejuvenate you, not leave you burnt and depleted.
Make sure you plan lunches with coworkers to catch up on the social aspect (tell them about your vacation!), forcing you to take a break. Get back to your exercise routine and book a class at the gym to force you to leave the office on time. Don’t be tempted to go into the office an hour early. Set boundaries to ensure you have time to relax and recharge outside work hours.
- Build in a buffer. Day one should be “Catch-Up” day. Do your best not to book yourself info meetings on your first day back (or, at the very least, the first half of the first day should be without meetings). Use that time to prioritize (after your inventory), keep track of your week’s schedule (things have likely changed since you left!), and give yourself a buffer day to get back in the game. You’re not up-to-date on everything that has happened, so ensure you have a bit of a buffer (the length depends on how long you were gone) so you don’t waste your time (or anyone else).
- Give yourself some grace. It’s natural to feel disoriented and overwhelmed when you return to work. It is natural to expect to feel that you have been out of the loop while gone because you were (hopefully) out of the loop for a while.
Instead of beating yourself up for not being back in top form, embrace the fact that you are human, and it takes time to get back into the swing of things. Take a deep breath as you look at your inbox or desk, remind yourself that you’ll get through this, and tackle each task one step at a time.
I can quickly get into vacation mode once I’m away from work, which means I can quickly get back into work mode too. It only happens with planning and preparation, though.
Ensure you are following the steps above to ensure you can take the next vacation!
