5 Ways to Smoothing The Transition to Work After Holiday
You finally took a break from work and went on a well-deserved vacation. It was something you love. Days or weeks of relaxation, excellent foods, binge-watching good movies, and a comfy bed have you wishing that it would never end. But then you realized you are going back to work, and it is inevitable. That thought alone puts you in a “not so good” mood.
To make your life easier on going back to work, we have created a list of tips that will make your transition from holiday to work more smoothly. Here are some of them.
1. Don’t go back to the workplace straight ahead
Everyone needs some time to adjust to their routine after returning from vacation. So, if possible, ask your boss to take a day or two before going back to the workplace as a way to “calibrate” yourself. Spend these days doing something light like unpacking vacation stuff, doing laundry, or doing grocery shopping.
Don’t stress yourself by doing work-related activities because it will just ruin your mood. It will be unpleasant to get into the workflow again when you’re exhausted or worried because of overthinking.
2. Wake up early
Sometimes, the vibe of getting back to work after a holiday is like starting your very first day working at a new company. If you feel this way, then treat yourself like you are going to do it.
The night before you start your return to the office, set up your alarm at 5.30 AM - 7.00 AM. Waking up early in the morning will make your first day coming back to the office easier. In addition, your early morning hours tend to be the most productive time of day because there will be less interruption, which eventually leads you to create proper preparation.
You can use this peaceful and quiet time to take a shower, have breakfast, and dress up appropriately, so you feel more comfortable, and then set up your work desk.
3. Review your calendar
Spare time the morning before heading to work. Start reviewing what's laid ahead in the workplace by checking your calendar. The last thing that you want is to walk into your office and get caught off guard by any surprises like a meeting you didn’t know even exist.
What’s more, see if you can remove any calendar entries until you have addressed your priorities so that you’ll have the attention and energy to home in on what’s most important.
4. Create a to-do list
Once you know your schedule, after reviewing your calendar, create a to-do list containing activities you will do in the office. It helps you to prioritize the tasks you must do.
If any, start with the old tasks you had not finished when you were leaving for a holiday. It gives you a sense of normality when you have your routines back. Although it might be tempting to get involved in a new project once you’re sitting at your desk, don’t do that just yet because it will make you feel overwhelmed and tired before lunch.
Do tasks that you think are easier and require less time to finish, and it will build your confidence and comfort on returning to the workplace.
5. Ask for a help
Check your ego at the door and admit that you can’t do everything on your own. Asking your colleagues for help can be nerve-racking, but it could be just what you need to do to make your transition to coming back to work more smoothly.
Some of you may have been there: doing work, getting stuck, and needing help — you worry about bothering your coworkers to ask an “unimportant” favor or asking some obvious question. The thought of “bothering” your coworkers makes you think that you are vulnerable to others’ judgments, or even worst, you made yourself look incompetent or lazy.
But worry not, because you could ask for help in a better way!
The first step to asking for help is to make sure you need it — confirm if your question is worth asking, by making sure that you are doing your “homework.”
You will have generally done enough “homework'' if you can be sure that the answer hasn’t already been shared with you or you can’t even find it after finding it on Google. If you already try to find the answer but haven’t found it yet, then it will make sense to ask.
Once you have a question that makes sense to ask, the next step is to identify the most effective way to approach your colleagues. You could try by using these three questions: Who is the best person to ask? When is the best time to ask? Where is the best place to ask?
Last but not least, after you’ve gotten the help you need, remember to show your gratitude!
So those are five things you could do to make it feel easier to get back to work after the holiday.
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