Career & Living, Life

How To Reset Now You’re Back At Work

It’s officially over. You crossed the proverbial finish line adorned with tinsel and baubles. You survived the festivities. But alas it is time to shake off the glitter and put down the Ferrero Rocher’s and look towards the inevitable return to work you’re probably enduring (if you haven’t been working through the hols, bless you.)

Returning to work after days or weeks of being on holiday can be daunting, even exhausting, often filled with this strange sort of anxiety that goes something like, “why am I nervous about going to work? What if everything’s changed? What if I’ve forgotten everything?” Or the more common, “I refuse to go back, they can’t make me. I’m going to quit and live the life of a gypsy.” And if you work in retail this feeling is sevenfold.

But fear not, you are not alone. You need to reset mentally and we’re going to help you get there.

Study up

Alright this is no ones favourite, but often the most useful. Now you’re back in the office/shop floor/study desk/your best mates garage, do a little reaching out to fellow colleagues to see what they’ve been up to. This is especially helpful if some of them have been working through the holidays. They can help you catch up on what you have missed, if there’s anything new or just in general starting to talk about work with others can help you get back into the headspace required to make that first Monday morning a successful one.

Don’t think about it

They are holidays for a reason. It’s a time to not bog yourself down with work emails, conference calls or scheduling. It’s a time to be with friends and family and to eat more than your own weight in chocolate and potatoes. One of the best ways to be happy to return to work is to give yourself allowance for time off. Don’t feel guilty about staying home and enjoying your free time, rather relish in it and do whatever it is you need to regroup and re-energise. That way when it comes time to punch that clock, it will be a good thing rather than a burden.

Ease your way in

So you’ve had your fun, you took your holidays and caught up on all the new happenings of the work place, but now it’s time to knuckle down again, right? Well… that’s subjective. Bear in mind that you are not the only one coming down from your turkey fuelled high of the first days back. There is a very good chance that many of your peers will be in the same hazy and reluctant mindset as you are so sometimes going back to work is a bit of a breeze.

Take these first few days back as Orientation Week all over again. Ask about holidays, whip out your phone and show them the embarrassing photos of your uncle falling into the pool after too many Hans Super Dry’s. Take it easy, don’t sweat it. You are not the only one feeling like Bambi learning to walk.

For the troopers

If you were one of those people who didn’t get time off for the festive season *raises hand* then the above three points probably have no meaning to you. But here is something I did learn. While working, take some perspective.

The people you are tending to are frantic, in a hurry and very stressed out. They are likely dealing with their children on school holidays, long distance relatives who have overstayed their welcome and the crowded malls full of people just like them. Whether you’ve worked through these holidays, or will in the future, take a second, breathe, stay hydrated. Take your breaks and above all remember: everyone is trying their hardest.

Now put on some filthy tune bangers and go get ‘em. This is your year.

Image source: Katie McCoach Editorial

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Obsessive music listener, aspiring story teller, detrimentally punctual, handbag collector/borderline hoarder and glasses wearer.

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