Are You Ready to Return to Work After Time Off?

Although I fully enjoy time off, coming back to work used to be demotivating and produced a “sense of dread” at the end of my vacations. The same is true for many of my clients, one who recently told me he was struggling to “activate his brain” after a week off.

It wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized it was important for me to apply the same planning I did FOR my vacations to the RETURN FROM my vacations. This has allowed me to be most effective in returning to work without negating all the benefits.

Here are my tips.

1. Prepare to return before you leave.

I’m not suggesting putting in crazy hours to work ahead so that you can take time off. I’m talking about delegation and coverage. Empowering your team to help keep the train moving while you are gone is an important move and also contributes to their growth.

2. Create calendar time blocks on the days right after your return.

Coming back to a flurry of meetings and decision-making right after a vacation is usually not wise. Just like unused muscles need time to warm up before an intense workout, your body and brain need some time to ramp up. I prefer to block my first day back so that I can control the schedule and designate time to catch up and ease into the flow. It also gives the brain some time to “reactivate.”

3. Set up your email and messaging so that people know you are out AND don’t reply to messages.

Checking messages and email on vacation is a big temptation and a very slippery slope. Once you start responding to messages, you are teaching your co-workers and your team that vacation doesn’t really mean taking a break from work and that you will be available regardless. Is that really what you want?

4. Schedule something fun to do the first day back.

Scheduling something you enjoy on the first day back gives you something to look forward to and eases the transition from vacation back to work. My “go to” is lunch out at one of my favorite restaurants. I also take time to relive some of the fun moments by sharing some of my vacation photos.

5. Ask for debriefs from your people.

Your team can be a big help in bringing you up to speed on what happened while you were away (assuming you weren’t peeking at your email to keep tabs on things).

6. Get a good night’s sleep before your first day back.

This is vital to kicking into gear and performing at your best.

7. Give yourself grace.

Don’t expect to be completely back to your usual pace right away after time off. It takes some time. Having the right expectations reduces stress.

What else do you do to ease back into work from time off? Share your ideas below.

If you’d like to learn more about how I help leaders accelerate their growth and influence, schedule a call at https://lnkd.in/gzsdi7M .