Returning to work after the holiday period can be challenging for some of us: sometimes we struggle to get into a rhythm and tend to procrastinate, other times we feel stressed by all the things that have accumulated in our absence and guess what, we tend yet again to procrastinate.
Often, people come in therapy and tell me about how they lack motivation to go back to work. What I do then is emphasize the difference between motivation – the “spark” that gets us started towards a goal – and discipline – the “fuel” we need to achieve our goals. Motivation shows us direction, but it quickly disappears. Discipline is what helps us reach our destination, but it requires effort (we use our neocortex). Motivation is desire, discipline is power. (If you’re interested in this topic, give me a sign, it can be the subject of a different newsletter)
Therefore, maybe what you need these days has to do more with organizing yourself, discipline, re-creating a rhythm and less with the inspiration brought on by motivation
You can try the following recommendations:
- Between your time spent away and your return to the office, take 1-2 buffer days. Maybe you need to organize things around the house, do some shopping or just get some sleep.
- Take things one step at a time. Yes, you probably have a lot to catch up, but that doesn’t mean tackling 2-3 things at once will be effective. You will only create more anxiety and stress for yourself. Give your body and mind time to switch to another mode of functioning.
- Be reasonable: you won’t be able to solve on the first day the tasks that have been waiting for you since you left (although it can be tempting, just to get rid of them!). Start with the important emails, and then set a priority list (your priorities, not other people’s emergencies). What are the 3 most important tasks you want to check off on your first day back at the office?
- Make those changes you’ve wanted for a long time in your work style: now is the perfect opportunity to start being more organized, to structure your schedule in a physical or virtual agenda, to take breaks on time, to stand up for a few seconds every 30 minutes to straighten your back, to reflect on your career, etc, that is to become more aware of how you work.
- Leave the office on time / shut down your computer on time. Just back from vacation, you may feel the need to make up for the time you missed. Not! It’s not a reasonable long-term solution, and you’ll manage just to quickly get rid of that nice feeling of being rested after vacation.
