SEPTEMBER 2016: Making a successful return to work
RETURNING TO WORK AFTER THE SUMMER CAN SOMETIMES BE A DIFFICULT TIME TO COPE WITH. YOU’VE JUST COME BACK FROM HOLIDAY, YOU MANAGED TO DISCONNECT AND NOW YOU HAVE TO PICK UP WHERE YOU LEFT OFF. DIVING BACK INTO FILES, MEETINGS AND LONG DAYS… WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO PREPARE FOR IT? SOME ADVICE FOR A SUCCESSFUL RETURN TO WORK
Your first objective is not to succumb to the stress of going back to work: be philosophical and take a step back: everything will be fine.
TIP N°1: ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAY RIGHT UP TO THE LAST MOMENT
You’re going back to work on Monday, right? So why start worrying about things on Sunday afternoon? STOP. Even though it’s the day before you go back to work, it’s still your holiday and you should enjoy it right up to the last minute.
TIP N°2: QUICKLY PLAN YOUR NEXT “BREAK”
Admittedly, you’ve just come back from holiday and it’s not yet time to think about the next one. But it is important for your morale and well-being to plan a new “break” quickly, so that you can recharge your batteries. For example, three or four weeks after you go back to work, plan a weekend in the country with friends. That will help you to give yourself one hundred per cent to your work, knowing that there’s a break is on the horizon.
TIP N°3: THINK ABOUT A “TO DO LIST”
The TO DO LIST: your best friend when you go back to work. When you come back from holiday, there is a tendency to get things mixed up in your head and (new) tasks are not always clearly defined; sometimes you even have to reorganise things. A ‘to do list’ will help you do this more effectively and see your objectives more clearly.
TIP N°4: TAKE TIME TO READ YOUR EMAILS
If you made a resolution not to look at work-related emails during your holiday, there’s no sense in being overwhelmed when you return to work: make time to get yourself up to date as quickly as possible.
TIP N°5: DON’T CHANGE YOUR HABITS
Don’t start or finish work earlier or later, just because it’s the week you come back from holiday. Do what you’ve always done. If you usually arrive in the office at 9 o’clock, carry on as before and finish at the same time too. Even if you feel overwhelmed on your first day back, don’t worry; take a few days to get back in the swing.
TIP N°6: TOUCH BASE WITH YOUR BOSS
Don’t let yourself be overwhelmed: if you’re a bit lost and don’t know which way to go, touch base with your boss so that he/she can help you take the right decisions and move forward the right way.
