For most of us, this week saw us returning to the office after a well earned break. Sadly this means the alarm is back and we need to remember what day of the week it is again.
For working parents the remaining few weeks of school holidays need to be juggled with work commitments – along with recruiting family and friends to tie over the care of children home for the holidays. This can be stressful, with a house messier than usual, the kids still wanting to be entertained and our own guilt for not being home with them!
But it ain’t all bad – with a few of our tips, you can start your working year productive and inspired and balanced, whilst enjoying a post summer vacay glow rather than post holiday blues!
If possible, keep your Out of Office message ON
If you’ve already set up an out-of-office reply before leaving, it might make sense to leave it on for an extra day or two, just to give you a leg-up for the working week. The people in the office know you’re back at work, but there’s no real reason for the wider world to know just yet. That additional day will give you plenty of time to plan out your to do list, calendar and clean out your inbox.
Treat yourself after work
The first few days back is going to be tough, so to ease back into work life, make sure you’ve got something to look forward to those first few nights after work so you won’t fall into that dreaded post-holiday depression! Perhaps plan a dinner catch up with a friend or head down to the beach for a swim or walk after work.
Manage your expectations with house keeping
For working parents, it is a tricky time where the laundry may be at an all time high with the kids home and the house may be more chaotic than usual. This is a time to really manage your expectations and ‘let go’ and accept that this is temporary until the kids go back to school and routine restored. Say ‘yes’ when someone offers help, perhaps even treat yourself and get a cleaner or the laundry done for the next week or so if it gets to much for your standards! The message here – is be kind to yourself as you transition back to work.
Grab some Vitamin D
Take advantage of the weather and do get outside for a brisk walk on your break rather than trying to play catch up. You will return more productive and refreshed to tackle your tasks for the afternoon.
We hope these tips help inspire you to ease back into the working week and retain your summer holiday glow!
