Many of us went back to work today after having a day or two (or perhaps 2 weeks) off from work. I’m hoping your time off was fun, peaceful and joyous. I have to say, having the time off with my family was glorious, and I had a twinge of angst as I prepared myself to return to work today.
It’s not that I anticipated anything going badly at work and I was looking forward to creating and working on my various projects. I’m entering a a new quarter and I find that to be renewing and exciting.
It is hard for me, sometimes, to get back into my structured groove of being scheduled and managing a bunch of things. The ramp up can be at such a steep incline that I want to pull the covers back over my head and try again another day.
I have my moments of “make it all stop” and luckily for me, I’m willing to stop and ask for help.
Here are some ways I keep my peaceful vacation state-of-mind in order.
Take it slowly. Try not to go back to work on full throttle. You will exhaust yourself too early and stress might set it.
Lower your hurdles. Prioritize what you really need to get done your first day/week back to work and then spread out other tasks as needed.
Organize yourself. I know it seems obvious that you should do certain things the night before – lay out our clothes, lay out the kids’ clothes, organize backpacks, make lunches, program the coffeemaker, etc. Just be sure you really do them so you are not rushed in the morning.
Incorporate some yoga. Stick with your regular exercise routine and add some yoga to your workday. There are easy stretches you can do at your desk or in your workspace. These stretches will give you more energy so you can stay relaxed and focus on getting your work done.
Breathe through it. Things may flow smoothly or be a bit off kilter when you return to work, but do not stress about it. Remember to breathe so that you can keep stress at the proper levels.
Do vacation stuff. If there is an activity that you enjoyed while you were on vacation, try to keep that going even when you go back to work. Now, you’ll have to be practical about what that activity is, you may even have to modify it, but it may be doable.
Unplug. Let the gadgets go when you get home. Give your eyes and brain some downtime. Do not try to multitask.
