Back to Work After a Holiday
I’m back at work after a holiday in the New Forest (a beautiful part of England, if you haven’t visited before) with the family. I’ve got various inboxes full of emails to sort through and a task list that was mounting before I left! We've probably all experienced this feeling at some point—trying to get back into the daily work routine after a long holiday. You've basked in the sun, explored new places, played with the screaming children (!), or simply enjoyed some well-deserved downtime. But now, reality is knocking, and those emails, tasks, and meetings are looming.
A Moment of Reflection
So, the Monday morning alarm clock is ringing, and the cozy holiday cocoon has finally burst. Before you dive into your inbox, take a moment to reflect about your holiday just gone. It’s amazing how easily we forget everything we did in the rush to get back to the routines of everyday life. What did you enjoy most about your holiday? What insights did you gain during your time off? Use every holiday to think about how you balance work with the rest of your life (I hate that phrase ‘work-life balance’!) and how you can refine your daily routine to make it more enjoyable. Embrace the memories of your time away, but also embrace the opportunities that getting back to work is about to bring. With a positive mindset and a few strategic steps, you'll quickly find that getting into the swing of things again isn't as difficult as it seems.
Minimise Distractions
Getting back to work after a holiday requires focus. Put your phone on silent, close unnecessary apps and browser tabs on your computer, put on headphones and some background music, and make sure you are able to concentrate. If you’re able to work from home on the first day back, that’s even better, as that’s always less intense that braving the commute and going back into the hustle and bustle of the office. A Monday at home can help you sort things out before you head back in over the rest of the week.
Tackle the Email Monster
Okay, let's face it; the dreaded inbox is waiting for you. Here’s where you apply the good old Zero Inbox method to potentially a much larger number of messages. As ever, scan through your emails one by one, and delete, archive, or flag as appropriate. Resist the urge to open and reply to everything right away—here’s where you might want to do things slightly differently than usual. Rather than replying immediately to the ‘easy’ emails, flag them along with the others into your task list. You’ve been away, and you want to spend as much time as possible dealing with the highest priority items, not composing replies to emails that can be dealt with later on.
Prioritise and Plan
After you’ve finished going through the emails, review what’s ended up in the todo list, and be realistic about what you can do on your first day back. Identify the critical tasks that need immediate ‘day 1’ attention and focus on those. Leave the less urgent tasks for later in the week.
Ease Into it with a Warm-Up Task
If jumping straight into your most complex tasks is a bit too overwhelming, start with a warm-up task that's less demanding but still productive. It could be something as simple as responding to one or two of those lower priority emails, reviewing notes from that meeting you had on the Friday before your headed off on holiday (!), or catching up on industry news that’s relevant to your role. This gentle transition helps you ease back into work mode.
Reconnect with Colleagues
Your colleagues can be your biggest help as you go through this post-holiday “reintegration”. If you’re working from home on your first day back, try and schedule some short 15-minute catchup calls. Chat with your team, share a holiday story, and ask how things have been while you were away. This not only helps you get up to speed on work issues but also helps you feel reconnected, especially if it’s been a long holiday.
Remember those Breaks
Yes, you need to get stuff done but staring at your screen for hours on end won't do you any favours. Remember to schedule those short breaks again to stretch, walk around, or grab a snack. These mini breaks will help prevent burnout and will actually make you complete everything faster—always worth remembering and repeating: you are not a computer. You’ve just had a holiday for a reason.
Keep up the Snacks and Drinks
While trying to get through the post-holiday workload, don't forget to stay hydrated and eat well. Seriously, after indulging in all those holiday treats (you know you did…), your body and brain will thank you for getting back into the habit of healthy meals and plenty of water as you get stuck back in to work. Avoid that post-holiday crash by keeping your energy levels stable.
Back Into the Thick of It
If somehow your first day back at work was already planned to be particularly intense, maybe with a conference (as in my case!) or in-person client meetings, then you may not have time for a leisurely sorting of the emails and planning your new week. You’ll just have to accept that, but make sure you reschedule the blocks of time for sorting through the backlog and planning catchup activities. What you want to avoid is a week or two slipping by and you end up with an ever-worse backlog of email, tasks that aren’t getting done, and priorities all over the place.
Frankly, you should try if at all possible to avoid major meetings or events on your first day or two back, but obviously that isn’t always possible.