3 Tips to Ease the Transition Back to Work After Vacation
After time off for a well-earned vacation, it can be difficult to immediately transition back into your normal work mode. Time away to relax is needed to re-charge but jumping right back into a busy workday with a full schedule and jam-packed to-do list can be overwhelming. To make the adjustment easier, this NYC Professional Office Organizer is sharing her 3 simple office organizing tips to help you ease back into your work week.
Tip #1: Have a transition period. It’s hard to dive back into work on your very first day back after a fun-filled and exciting vacation. So be kind to yourself and allow for a transition period. Block out your first day back on your calendar, and make sure not to schedule any meetings that day. Take that entire first day back to review what was missed and get organized so you can hit the ground running on day two!
Tip #2: Catch up on what you missed. On that first day back in the office, be sure to update your auto responder email message to advise that you are back in the office and will be responding to emails within the next 24 hours. Be sure to shut off the auto responder as soon as you have completed reviewing emails and calls that you missed while away. In addition, be sure to update your outgoing voicemail message. Add calls to return and new tasks to your calendar and to-do list for later. Meet with the coworker who was handling your clients and tasks while you were out so you can be brought up to date on the status. If there are any tasks that still need to be completed, move those to your to-do list.
Tip #3: Take it slow. Looking at everything you may have missed as a whole might feel overwhelming and your inclination may be to randomly address tasks. Instead, stay focused and do a thorough review. Take some time to prioritize your tasks. Then start from the top and target just one task at a time. Looking at a long to do list can be anxiety provoking, but when you take on one task at a time, you can take pride as you cross each item off your list. It won’t take you long to get back into the work rhythm, so allow yourself to take it slow on that first day.
Returning to the work routine after a vacation may not be easy as you aren’t ready for the fun and relaxation to end! These office organizing tips will enable you to ease back into your work life with as little overwhelm as possible.
For more office organizing strategies and hands-on support, reach out to your NYC Professional Office Organizer today!