It’s hard to believe that we’re already half-way through the first month of this year. Especially for those who are still ploughing through all their unread emails from before the festive season. If you fall in the latter category, we have some great tips to get you back into the swing of work life.
Re-establish a morning routine
Routine might put the “mundane” back into Monday, but it also provides stability. When you know what to expect from your day you immediately feel more grounded and prepared. Routine will make it easier to plan your days and to stick to those plans.
Book “focus-time” in your diary to get through all outstanding emails
The gazillion unread emails waiting for you in your inbox won’t go anywhere, and the sooner you work your way through them the better. The first day, week, or even month back at work will be overwhelming. It’s therefore crucial to dedicate some time to work through and organise the mountain of outstanding emails and tasks.
Prioritise your to-do list (all things take time, and you can’t do it all at once)
Don’t make the mistake of tackling every outstanding task at once. Trying to do everything in one go will overwhelm you even more. There’s an old saying: “slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Get the urgent tasks out of the way first, this will take some of the pressure off, giving you more time and head space to deal with the rest.
Keep the holiday spirit alive
Don’t forego all the pleasures that come with a holiday when you go back to work. We tend to forget about the small joys in life when work pressure takes centre stage. As you ease back into work life, don’t forget to listen to some soft music, take time to cook descent meals, and spend time with the people that make you happy. This way you can keep some of that holiday spirit alive.
Remember to take breaks, and take it one step at a time
You can’t start off the year in 5th gear, you’ll burn out in a week and your holiday would have been all for nothing. Remember to take necessary breaks in between work. Don’t be too hard on yourself and take it one email, one deadline, and one day at a time.
