OK, so I’m not actually yelling like a toddler, but today is the last day of my 10 day vacation and I’m sad.
Those geniuses over at The Muse emailed me this article today with six coping mechanisms for the first day back at work. My two favorites were to make a plan (the must-do list) and listen to music… except that I do those things at work every day. They also recommend starting a vacation conversation with co-workers as a way to avoid too much work; which I will definitely be doing.
I wanted more though, so I scoured the interwebs. Here is what I found:
Turn out that I did OK before I left for this vacation: I set up an auto-reply, I left parts of some (fun) projects to finish when I got back, and made a prioritized must-do list for the week of my return. I even came back to town a little earlier than the last possible second so I don’t feel frazzled just physically getting to the office, something recommended here.
Apparently, setting aside an uninterrupted morning (or whole day) when you first get back is the key to avoid getting broadsided by everyone and everything. Guard your first morning back closely; block it on your calendar so everyone things you are in a meeting and leaves you to do battle with your inbox in peace. Speaking of doing battle with your inbox, LifeHack suggested sorting them by sender or subject instead of date so you can focus on what you missed and not when you missed it. Once you have vanquished your foe, or reached inbox 0 (ha! kidding!), start tackling your to-do list, one thing at a time.
This article from Harvard Business Review talks about the technology angle of coming back to work and gives some useful tips on how to how to keep it all quiet on the digital Western Front. Keep up a Do Not Disturb message on Skype (or whatever IM program your company uses) and maybe leave your email away message up for an extra day (if your position and managers allow it). The first week back after a long break can be a good time to make sure that your current task-management system is working for you, too.
Last piece of advice? Don’t undo all of that relaxation on the first day. Bring the peace, relaxation, joy, patience, and whatever else eased your soul on vacation back to the office with you. Prioritize your must-do list, make meaningful progress on said list, catch up with your friends on your coffee breaks, and exit the building at your regularly scheduled quitting time. Maybe it didn’t all get done, but it will still be there tomorrow.
May the productivity be with you!
According to Aubs 