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Holidays are sacred time where you get to recharge, relax and take some time off to do the things that you love. Remind yourself of that whenever you catch yourself stressing over work. If you have planned well before you left, coming back to work will be less stressful. If you haven’t because there was simply too much to do, then these tips can still help you to stay motivated and energized and help reduce your stress level.

1. Build in some transition time

As much as we all want to prolong our holidays, coming back on a Sunday evening might not be the best strategy. In fact this could make you more stressed. So plan ahead and come back on a Saturday if you can. Then use the Sunday to unpack, go to the grocery store and slowly transition into your regular daily habits. If you have already booked your return for a Sunday, then make sure you give yourself some space at work on Monday morning. Yes, you might have missed a few important meetings, but don’t make the mistake to schedule a meeting on a Monday morning to catch up. This will add to your stress levels and might actually cause a loss in productivity. Instead take the morning to sort out your desk, emails (more on that later) and tasks. Maybe even go to work early to slowly adjust before your colleagues come in and start asking you questions about your trip and tell you what you’ve missed while you were gone. Easing your way in at your work by organising yourself, will help you feel in control and can reduce the overwhelming feeling that there is too much to be done at once.

2. Take it slow

Do you know the feeling when you have too much to do and try to do it all, that you become so overwhelmed and at the end don’t manage to complete anything well? We’ve all been there. Instead of taking on too much, give yourself some space and take it slow for now. This means, don’t take on any new tasks, but focus on catching up what you’ve missed and on your regular job duties. Once you feel you’ve got these under control you can start taking on new something new, one at a time.

3. Don’t get overwhelmed with emails.

If you haven’t checked your emails during your holidays (which I truly hope you did not!) you might already be stressing about the look of your mailbox. There are a few things you can do to make your mailbox seem more manageable. Don’t start reading your emails by their date, you will get lost in them. Instead filter your mailbox to show the messages by sender (like your boss or important clients) and subject. If something is important you will have received a few mails about it. As for the rest of emails, scan them quickly and delete what’s no longer relevant.

4. Keep that holiday vibe

Don’t think that now that you’re back to work, the fun is over. Actively make some time to do something you enjoy, or that you loved doing while on a holiday. This could be scheduling a healthy lunch date with your friends. Eating healthy food on a terrace and enjoying the sun while it’s still warm can be a great prolongation to that holiday feel. If you haven’t finished that book you read on the beach, then take it with you while you commute to work, or download a new audiobook. Continue with your yoga classes or whatever physical exercise you are into. Keeping it moving will help you stay in a positive mindset.

5. Bring some food from your trip into your daily routine

Bringing some food to your office from the place you just visited is a great way to extend your holiday feel and to bond with your colleagues and keep the holiday conversation going. Also, why not get inspired and make some themed dinners at home by cooking some of the food you enjoyed eating while you were away? Not only will this spark your creativity and chef skills at home, but it will also make it a small celebration.

Vesela Savova Drews is a certified diet and nutrition advisor living in Luxembourg. She helps her clients adopt a healthier diet that suits their lifestyle. As a new mom, her interest has further expanded into child nutrition, and she has completed a certification course in child nutrition and cooking from Stanford University. Savova Drews has further certifications on the human gut and microbiome with the University of Colorado Boulder, and is currently studying to become a holistic nutritionist.

This article originally appeared on her Plateful Nutrition blog and is republished with permission.

Picture credits: Pixabay