The first day back after the holidays can be overwhelming. If you are like me, I tried to avoid even thinking about work while I was off, which proved to be fruitless.
How do you retool and refocus after a break? Do you sit down at your desk and then freeze? How are you supposed to get everything done? How do you even get excited about it? Do you immediately get frustrated and want to cry?
Here are my tips for getting back in the swing of things and not dreading all that is on your plate.
- Office supplies. Purchase a new notebook or planner. I don’t know what it is about office supplies but I get really excited to use which then gets me excited about the tasks I am outlining.
- Team meeting. On your first day back, ease into it. Convene with the team and chat about priorities, deadlines and life in general. By making sure you are all on the same page, you will feel ready to tackle that to-do list. Ease into the day with some socializing and then get shit done.
- Make a list. Break out that new notebook and map out what you absolutely have to get done that day. A colleague of mine once said, your top priorities should fit on a post-it note. If your list is any longer, you will get overwhelmed and productivity goes out the window.
- Out-of-office. Keep your out-of-office on. It won’t hurt for clients to think you are out of the office one more day. This will give you the chance to catch up on tasks and catch-up on emails.
- Cut yourself a break. You are not going to get everything done in one day and no one expects you to. Be realistic with yourself and give yourself a break.
Take a deep breath. You got this.
