How to Shake Off Those Post-Holiday Blues

You’ve spent the past 2 weeks laying on golden sands, admiring the picturesque landscape, gazing at interesting architecture, strolling through beautiful old towns and indulging in wonderful food and wine.  Your landscape now consists of piles of letters, reports and an inbox full of emails. Evening marina strolls have turned to early morning school runs, and your alarm clock which for the duration of your break was the sun through your window or the sound of crickets outside, is now an annoying electronic buzzing.  The transition back to work is never easy after a break away but there are ways to make the adjustment a smooth one and retain that holiday feel-good factor for a while at least.

Go to work early

There is nothing more stressful than rushing to work especially if the commute is a horrible one.  On your first day back, it’s helpful to arrive earlier than usual so you miss the rush hour crush.  This will give you plenty of time to prepare, check through your emails and set up for the day ahead so that you are ready for those catch-up meetings.

Time to breathe

Keep your out of office email response on for a day – you can always pretend that you have forgotten that it is still on.  It gives you a day to catch up on the urgent stuff, sort out your calendar and make some tactical phone calls to find out what has been going on that you need to know about.

To do lists

Overcome that holiday lethargy by devising a to-do list that prioritises all of your tasks with target times for their completion.  If your holiday has sparked your creativity and you’ve had a great idea for a new project or way to improve your department, then plan how you will go about implementing this too – don’t lose that holiday inspiration!

Tidy desk, tidy mind

It is likely that you will arrive back to a desk with letters, newsletters and other documents stacked up – and this can feel overwhelming.   Keep that relaxed holiday zen mood by ensuring your desk exudes calm and order.  Tidy your desk, chuck away anything you don’t need, and only leave out what is essential.  You will feel so much more in control.

Light

It won’t compare to the Mediterranean sun but working with plenty of natural light is important as not only does it help to keep you focused, it is also proven to help fight jet lag. If you don’t have any windows by your desk or in your office, go for a short walk on your lunch break or take a different route to work that enables you to walk outside.

Healthy lifestyle

We spend our holidays eating fresh fruit, veg and fish and are likely to be walking and swimming far more than usual.  Keep off the processed foods and continue to exercise to retain the physical and psychological benefits of your holiday.

Something to look forward

Book your next holiday or a weekend away. Plan a day drip or spa break. Whether it is ski-ing, a historic adventure or a relaxing beach holiday – whatever it is that will give you something to look forward to. Then it’s not so much regretting that your holiday is over, but more positive anticipation of the fun holiday ahead.

Career coaching

However, if you find yourself counting down the days until your next break, perhaps because you are not enjoying your job, then maybe another holiday isn’t the answer – maybe it’s time to do something more fundamental about your career and see a career coach. A career coach can help you explore what it is you enjoy, your skills and your achievements to really establish what is the right role for you and how to get it.  Maybe there is a promotion that has come up and you want some help in convincing your boss that you are ready for it.  Or maybe your holiday has inspired you to change jobs altogether. Whether it’s a small jump within your current sector, a business idea that you have thought of, a dream you want to chase or even if you have absolutely no idea what you want to do, career coaching can provide a much needed reboot of your career.

Personal Career Management are the UK’s leading career coaching management company specialising in career consulting and outplacement.  You can also follow us on Twitter for advice, tips and news or call us on 01753 888995 to find out more about our services or fill in our online contact form.

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Article by:

Corinne Mills

Article by:

Corinne Mills

Corinne Mills is the Joint Managing Director of Personal Career Management, she is a career coach with 15 years career management experience.

View Articles by Corinne Mills