The summertime is known for it’s longer days, beautiful weather and children being out of school. 
Because of these factors, this is typically the most popular time of year for people to take time off of work for vacation.
Whether it’s just a relaxing three day holiday weekend or a two-week family trip to the beach – returning to work after time away is a very difficult, and sometimes even a depressing task.
Here are a few tips and ideas to help you more easily return to your regular 40-hour work week after taking time off –
1~ Allow An Extra Day. Whether your last vacation day includes a 12-hour plane trip back home or a long car commute – make plans ahead of time to return a day early. This may seem like it’s cutting your trip short, but in reality it will allow you an extra day to relax and unwind before having to return to a busy schedule.
2~ Don’t Allow Yourself to Get Overwhelmed. If the hours after returning home make your laundry room floor covered with dozens of dirty loads of clothes and the living room loaded down with piles of bags in each corner – do not feel that everything has to be taken care of immediately. Spend some time putting things away, but most importantly spend time decompressing. Put your feet up, even if it is only for a short time, knowing that the mail and other tasks can be tackled over the next few days.
3~ Return to Work Early. Make sure to set your alarm for a few minutes early on your first morning back. Plan to arrive at the office a few minutes early eliminating the frazzled feeling.
4~ Take on Tasks Slowly. Instead of feeling overwhelmed at the sky high stacks of notes sitting on your desk, try to divide your tasks into piles and take breaks throughout the day. Give yourself time to ease back into the workload, ensuring that you are putting your full effort into completion as you normally would.
5~ Don’t Plan Things Away From the Office. Your first day back at your desk is not the right time to schedule an important out-of-office meeting. Doing this will only lead you to feel like you are falling further behind on your workload already at hand. Try to give yourself several days to catch up before planning important tasks that will take you away from your desk.
6~ Treat Yourself. Treat yourself to an iced coffee after work or an evening out with your husband or friends. This simple idea will give you something to look forward to during the day when your workload seems daunting.
7~ Get Rest. Nothing makes you feel overwhelmed like exhaustion. After returning from an extended time away from work, remember to take care of yourself by getting plenty of rest. This will make the morning workload much easier to tackle and put you in a better mood.
Don’t let the first day back to work depress you and make you question your time off. New schedules are always a difficult adjustment for the body, but can be managed more easily with a good plan and a positive attitude.
