Feeling nostalgic for summer? How to beat the back-to-work blues
The alarm wakes you with a shock, the summer holiday is over and it's time to face that inbox full of unread emails.
TL;DR
- Ease back into work by starting with small, manageable tasks to build momentum.
- Be kinder with expectations on the first day back, perhaps by focusing on emails rather than meetings.
- Consider keeping your out-of-office on for the first day to gain headspace, or even delete holiday emails if you can afford to.
- Integrate enjoyable aspects of your holiday, like cooking specific cuisines or being a 'tourist' in your own area, into your daily life.
- Bring one restorative holiday habit home, such as evening walks or reading before bed instead of screen time.
- Reflect on the root cause of back-to-work blues; prolonged or intense negative feelings might indicate a need for a job rethink.
- Avoid knee-jerk reactions to quit; take time to reflect on how to make changes.
- The anticipation of a holiday is beneficial; actively engaging holidays may offer greater wellbeing benefits than passive ones.
- Shorter, more regular breaks can provide more consistent wellbeing benefits than longer, less frequent ones.