Make that post-vacation work stress manageable
By Juliet Soh and Farhan Shah
Are you only just returning from a long year-end vacation and dreading the thought of going back to work? You're not alone. At this time of the year, the ailments that usually plague you seem to be more pronounced and the queue at your general practitioner seems to be longer than usual.
Here are some tips to help you make the spectre of returning back to your desk that less intimidating:
Tidy up your desk: The start of a new year provides you with a great opportunity to clean up the clutter that has accumulated on your desk and in the drawers. It also gives you an outlet to slowly increase your productivity levels, especially in the first few work days when you're feeling more lethargic than usual.
Take a few days off: Consider taking one or two days off after your vacation. This serves as a buffer for flight delay and jetlag. If you can't afford to take extra days off, consider flying back home on a Friday so you can rest over the weekend and go back to work feeling refreshed, not fatigued.
Have a clear to-do list: On your first back-to-work day, get in slightly earlier to orientate yourself to work life. The extra time also allows you to catch up with your backlog of emails. Remember read them from the latest to the oldest — later emails tend to carry older threads, so reading the newest messages lets you see the full and latest picture, instead of just bits and pieces.
Touch base: Speak to your colleagues so they can hand back your tasks to you. Thank them for helping you cover your job while you're away too! You should also speak to stakeholders to let them know that you're back and will be in the saddle holding the reins once again.
Upload your vacation photos: Don't let those beautiful beach sunset photos go to waste. Besides sharing it with your friends, uploading the vacation snaps to your different social media profiles lets you reminisce about the fun times you had. Consider printing your favourite photo and placing it on your work desk! It will definitely help to beat those post-vacation blues.
Plan your next adventure: We know it's tough to set the wanderlust at ease, so go ahead and plan your next trip — that should get you excited!
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