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End of summer vacation coming up? Want to make sure you don’t get the post-vacation blues upon your return to work? Here are a few tips for easing through this disappointing period.
Build in a day off after you return from your trip. I had a friend who taught me this. As someone who would want to keep traveling until the last possible minute, I always book return flights for the night before I had to be back at work. But giving yourself a day to adjust is worth having 1 less day away. You can recenter in your home, do laundry, and set some self care goals to keep the peace you had on vacation with you when your hectic life resumes the next day. I no longer feel as overwhelmed when I return and the transition back to work doesn’t feel quite so abrasive.
Leave your schedule open as much as possible on your first day back. Unless required, I don’t schedule meetings for my first day back. I try to leave the day free for me to catch up on email, schmooze with coworkers about my trip, and day dream about those piña coladas I drank on the beach. And I always take my full lunch break on that first day back. It’s not hard to prioritize self care my first day back. Don’t rush into getting your new work-life balance thrown off again. Take it slow.
How do you ease back into work after vacation? Share your ideas in the comments below.