Some of us are returning from time off over the half term – whether you took a full week to look after children or a long weekend to join your family on holiday it can be hard not to find yourself stressed about work while you’re away. With this in mind, we’ve put together our top tips of how to make the most of your holiday break so you can return refreshed.
Plan for your return as well as your departure
It’s common to work additional hours in the run up to the holiday in order to produce work ahead of schedule, create handovers and generally make sure everything runs smoothly while you’re away. With the amount of work we put into planning for the time we’re off, it’s amazing how little we put into preparing for the time we’re back.
Next time you have a holiday, plan your first day back in advance, allowing yourself time to get back into the swing of things and assess anything that changed whiled you were away. The night before your return to the office, pack your bag, lay out your clothes and go to bed an hour earlier – this will help you to feel refreshed upon your return.
Be realistic about your first day back
There’s a temptation to work fast to make up for lost time, scheduling as many meetings as you can and attempting to do everything at once, but this can lead to mistakes and a mental burn out. Use the time you scheduled to gather your thoughts, get updated and realistically plan how much you can achieve.
Remember that everyone is in the same boat as you as everyone will be playing catch up upon their return, so don’t berate yourself for taking the time you need.
Keep active throughout your holiday
It’s especially hard to remain active during a well earned holiday; whether you’re staying home with good food and alcohol or travelling with friends & family, it can be hard to remember how important exercising really is. 82% of workers feel it can take up to four days to return to full productivity, but this statistic is halved if you remain active throughout the holiday. Remember that as little as 2 hours of exercise a week can significantly improve not only how you’ll feel once you return to the office, but how you’ll feel throughout the holiday as well.
Don’t take your work home with you
While having 24 hour access to our emails is a blessing during the working week, it can leave us drained and unable to disconnect during the holidays. Use an out of office response to let people know when you’ll return and respond to their emails and where possible set your smartphone so only a few select colleagues can contact you.
While you’re at it remember to take some time to unplug from all electric devices!
How do you return refreshed after your holiday? Share your thoughts below.
