That queasy post-holiday back to work dread

Getting back into the grind is a legitimate challenge. Don’t even try to deny that it’s a real stumbling block for any full time employee.

The professionals advise easing back into work after a long break. This block of text from Inc. is particularly important:

Either the day before returning to work or the morning of returning to work, take some time to plan out your day. Make a to-do list with everything you know you need to do and prioritize what needs to be done. If you do this on the morning of your return, be sure to give yourself space to be alone with your thoughts.

Start with old tasks that you didn’t finish before you went on vacation. It’ll give you a sense of normality. You might be tempted to jump straight into new projects, but you’re going to crash and burn before lunch.

Focus on doing what you know how to do and what requires the least amount of time. Starting with small tasks can boost your confidence. Remember, you’re taking one step at a time.

https://www.inc.com/john-discala/how-to-recover-from-post-vacation-fatigue-get-back-to-work.html

This sort of planning activity is not a waste of time; it’s actually critical for leaders to take account of where they are and what they owe. I use my first day back after the holidays as a planning day. I get my headspace into a productive place by thinking and listing out all the things I know I need to do in my first week back.

I have a couple meetings to talk about where things are and what is owed. I have some catch-up calls where I remind people of where some projects sit. I also plan my week around the list of to-dos and set Friday as a my deadline to get them done.

I think the prime goal of the return to office is to avoid putting yourself into a position where you just shut down. Work stacks up like Tetris blocks and, as long as you’re lining up the block positions in your head mentally as they fall, you’re putting yourself in a good position to get the field cleared that week. Just forget for a few minutes if you’re drowning in work with no end in sight — don’t overwhelm yourself. Just imagine the next few things you need to do.

I pair this strategy with my regular rule: every single day, I commit to completing something. That is, I have one objective accomplishment I can lean on every day. Whether that’s a meeting where a big decision is made or a single task is knocked out, I pencil in an accomplishment for the afternoon of the post-holiday return.

Lifehack advises much of the same:

You may feel the urge to work on three different things at the same time in order to catch up on work. However, this is not the most efficient approach. You’ll only confuse and stress yourself out! Make a point to focus your mind and to only work on one item or task at a time. You’ve just come back from a nice relaxing vacation; why stress yourself out if you can avoid it?

https://www.lifehack.org/articles/work/everyone-should-know-these-10-tips-before-returning-work-after-vacation.html

Don’t try to do everything — just pick one thing first and try to finish. If you end up finishing that item early, move on to the next item.

Ah, that struggle. How do you cope with it?