Mastering the Post-Holiday Hustle: Strategies for a Smooth Return to Work
Welcome back readers! This past week’s Monday Holiday got me thinking about returning to work after a three-day weekend, and the stresses a shortened week brings. On the one hand, skipping Monday has its benefits! You’re already into the week, and another weekend is just around the corner. On the other hand, it can be hard to focus after a long weekend, and the abbreviated week can wreak havoc on your work schedule. So, what can we do to lessen the stress?
Plan Ahead: It may sound like a no-brainer, but the fact is, most of us do not even want to think about the coming week on a Friday, let alone the Friday of a holiday weekend. You’re tired from a full week, you have time off to look forward to and it can be super tempting to zone out and cruise by on auto-pilot at the end of the day.
Instead of coasting through Friday, make it a point to run through your checklist of accomplishments for the current week and plan for the week ahead. Look at deadlines, meeting schedules, projects, presentations, and reporting tasks and decide now how you will tackle them on your return. Set automatic out-of-office replies for your email, forward your phone if necessary, and take care of any small administrative tasks before you head out. Create an agenda for your return. This will not only help lessen stress and give you a sense of purpose when you’re back at work, it will also help you feel accomplished as you check things off your to-do list.
Find Time to Relax: It can be tempting to pack your three-day weekend with non-stop fun, but giving yourself little to no down-time can also create more stress for your return to work. Try carving out some time for just you so you can recharge and unwind. This can be particularly hard when you have a family to juggle, but creating a sense of calm and peace is essential to your mental well-being. Remember, you cannot give to others when you’re running on empty yourself.
Have a Hard-Stop: The day before your return to work, have a designated stop-time for activities, and stick to it. In our house for example, we are home by 4pm on Sundays, or Monday if it’s a holiday, so we can prep for the week ahead. Doing things like meal planning and grocery shopping for the week, doing laundry, picking out school or work clothes and tidying up can go a long way in helping you feel prepared to take on the week.
Wake-up Early: It can be tempting to hit snooze after a long weekend, but getting up a little bit earlier than usual can help you mentally prepare for your day. Use the extra time to take a moment for yourself. Running through your agenda in your mind can also help you feel ready to take on the day and give you a sense of direction once you’re back in the office.
Even with all of this prep-work, it can still feel overwhelming to get back to work after time off. Give yourself some grace and focus on one thing at a time. Once you build some momentum by checking a few things off your to-do list, you’ll start to find your groove.
