5 tips: How to ease back into to work

Monday morning. Your holiday is over. Your inbox is overflowing, your calendar is full, and your to-do list has grown while you were enjoying some well-earned time off.

It can be tempting to go straight from a sun lounger to full speed ahead, but you do not have to.

With a few simple steps, you can ease back into work, regain your overview and find your rhythm again. Here are our career advisers' five best tips.

1) Help your future self

The best way to make your first day back easier actually starts before your holiday begins.

Take five minutes to write yourself a short list of the most important tasks to tackle when you return.

Email the list to yourself or leave it on your desk. That way, you will know exactly where to start and what to prioritise when you are back at work.

2) Shorten your first week, if you can

There is no rule saying your first day back has to be a Monday. If possible, return to work in the middle of the week.

A shorter working week makes the transition from holiday to everyday life a little gentler and easier to manage.

3) Give yourself time to settle back in

Block out time in your calendar and allow yourself to get back into your routine.

Sit down with a good cup of coffee and ease yourself into the day.

A morning without meetings on your first day back after the summer holiday gives you the time and space to prioritise your emails, tasks and deadlines. What needs your attention now, and what can wait?

Also make time for an informal chat with your colleagues. A good return to work is not only about catching up on tasks. It is also about settling back in mentally.

4) Save the hardest tasks for later

Your body may be back at the office, but your mind might still be on holiday. That is completely normal.

The first few days after a break are rarely your most productive. Instead, start with less complex tasks and save the biggest and most demanding ones until you have regained your overview and settled back into your routine.

5) Remember to take breaks

It can be tempting to catch up on everything straight away. However, skipping your breaks rarely makes a long to-do list any shorter.

Short breaks throughout the day help you stay focused and work more efficiently. Ironically, taking breaks may be what helps you get through your tasks more quickly.

A good return to work is not about operating at full speed from the very first minute. It is about giving yourself some breathing space, regaining your overview and finding a pace that is sustainable.