Whether it’s a long three-day weekend or a wonderful two-week vacation, going back to work and your regular schedule is hard.
You need to wake up early and return to your regular morning routine of going to work.
Additionally, you need to prepare for the day, listen to the traffic report to plan your route to work, and get out the door in order to start work on time. And don’t forget about all those projects you need to follow up on.
Where’s that snooze button?
No wonder workers grumble about returning to work after a holiday.
It’s a lot easier to overcome the back to work blues with the six steps illustrated in this infographic from Medway Leisure Travel.
The infographic focuses on getting on top of things and inspiring yourself with actionable tips to help you get back to work.
Great timing for me to see this infographic; I returned from a mini-vacation late last week.
My favorite tip from the infographic: plan your next holiday. I’m on it!
The entire text of the infographic is available.
Source: Visualistan
Six Ways to Beat the Back to Work Blues
Like most travelers, do you dread your return to work after a wonderful holiday? Forget your fears and embrace going back to work with these six steps.
- Stay in working shape.
Seventy-nine percent of employees said mental and interpersonal performance was better on days they exercised.Take the stairs. Improve your cardiovascular health with 60-second bursts of step aerobics.
Squat like a boss. While sitting, raise one leg forward and hold your arms in front of you. Stand up one one leg and return—alternate legs and repeat 10 times.
Raise yourself up. Stand away from your desk and place palms on the desk edge, shoulder width apart. While curling toes upward, with back and next straight perform rapid push-ups until failure.
- Eat brain-boosting food. A poor diet can cause a 20 percent drop in productivity as well as lowering your motivation, concentration and mood.Have a banana break. Twenty-five grams of glucose is needed for efficient brain function—the same amount that is found in the average banana.
Channel your inner squirrel. Walnuts are an ideal snack as they are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which improve learning and memory as well as helping to protect against depression and mood disorders.
Turn to the dark side. Eating dark chocolate can reduce stress-hormone levels and improve your mood.
- Reminisce about your holiday. Studies into happiness have shown that memories of experiences like holidays become embellished in memory, making us happier.Write a review of your holiday. Rate the restaurants you dined in, attractions you visited, and hotels you stayed in on social media and sites such as TripAdvisor.
Start a travel blog. Chronicle your holidays and adventures around the world, sharing experiences, connecting with other travelers, and gaining inspiration.
Make a photo album. Pictures or videos of your trip are great momentoes, and perfect for sharing online via social media such as Instagram and YouTube.
- Plan weekly activities. Distractions and interruptions can consume up to 28 percent of a work day and have been linked to increased dissatisfaction with work.Create a schedule. Every Sunday night, write out a list of activities and tasks to be completed over the week and allocating time for each.
Prioritize tasks. Schedule tasks in order of importance, and only allocate the time required for each—this prevents distractions and wasted time.
- Ensure you have a positive work-life balance. Forty percent of people believe they do not have a positive work-life balance. Work-life imbalance can lead to higher stress levels, increased chance of absenteeism, and lower productivity.Have a social hobby. Engaging in team sports or physical activitiy with other people outside of work has been shown to help reduce overall stress levels.
Create a bucket list. Think about activities, goals, and holidays that you’d like to cross off before you get old, and write them down in a list.
Make time for friends and family. Participating in and strengthening a social support network is one of the most important factors in maintaining a healthy mental state.
- Plan your next holiday. People going on vacation are generally happier than non-vacationers. The effect of a vacation anticipation can potentially boost happiness for up to eight weeks.Travel little and often. The length of a holiday does not affect how excited you get about it. But the more holidays you take, the more often you will have something to look forward to.
Save up for it. People who save money towards a goal and delay their consumption of an experience are on average happier than people who do not.
Imagine you’re already there. Make planning fun by reading travel guides for your destination of choice, look into local sights, and visualize your next trip.
Preparing yourself for your return to work after a holiday is important, but the best way to beat the back to work blues is to have another holiday planned or booked to look forward to.
