6 Tips To Beat Back-To-Work Blues

An extra day off makes snapping out of weekend mode that much harder. Pseudo-Mondays are the WORST because you just tricked your body into thinking it was on proper holiday. That's the bad news. The good news is that you have a job which you need to pay your bills. Vroom vroom. 

 

When you're coming back from some time off and you have a shorter week to get everything done, it helps to start with some firm ideas instead of deep regrets and a hangover - so here are six things that successful people do first when they return from long weekend:

 

They get to work early

When it comes to some holidays, almost everyone has time off. So you won't be falling behind by showing up to work at your usual time, but coming in early is a good idea if you want to be as productive as possible after a holiday weekend (and if you have a boss like ours *coughcough* he'll be pleased to see you hit the ground running like Caster).

It mitigates the workload avalanche and gives you a head start without the distraction of Carol telling you how she cheated on her diet all weekend. Here's a thing Carol: your pants already told us that.

 

 

They scrutinise their to-do lists

Productive people know that long, unwieldy to-do lists are essentially useless because they make you want to day drink and play Tetris. There's no better time to start cutting items from your list than the day you get back from long weekend because now that you've spent time away from your desk, you have tangible proof that those tasks you're always putting off aren't holding up your ceiling.

They double check their schedules

Don't forget to double check your schedule. Remember, you'll likely be dealing with a shortened work week. Don't try to cram too many items onto your weekly schedule, or you might wind up burning yourself out. Also, you probably forgot all the promises you made on Friday afternoon when you were trying to flee the office. Now would be a good time to reconcile those.

 

They check in with people 

Even though everyone was having a good ol' Braai Day, it's still a good idea to touch base with co-workers, bosses, and clients to make sure you are on top of things.
"Taking the time to connect with one or two clients lets them know they're top of mind with you and that you're back if they need anything," says Cleaning Hub director Matthew Smith. "It's a simple touch point that makes everyone refocus and feel better."

What's more, if the long weekend ate up a Monday like this one did, schedule in some time for your team and direct reports to meet up, even if it's just for a few minutes to make sure everyone's on the same page now that you're all back in the office.

 

They organise their inbox

Beware of spending too much time responding to the emails you missed over the weekend. It's easy to get sucked into the vortex of responding to every email without considering whether it's the best use of your time on the first day back, especially those ones from Nigerian princes offering you a share of their fortune. But don't confuse email activity with productive work - be strategic and only respond to emails that are time sensitive.

 

 

They focus on work

It's important to be able to shut off your work brain over long weekends to reboot and avoid burnout, but it's equally important to snap back into productivity when you return to the office. Successful people are able to make the switch and avoid any unproductive post-long weekend FML thoughts that just send you into a downward spiral of grief. Pull your panties up. Smile. And get sh*t done.

 

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