If you take a week off for a vacation, then it probably take the first two days to get into the groove. In the middle of the week, you’re totally relaxing. But as you get ready to pack it all up, the work stress starts creeping back. Before you know it, you’ll be back at the office and feeling blue. There has to be a better way to “stretch” out your vacation? Try putting these ideas into action to help beat back the post-vacation blues.
Extend Your Out of Office Response
You’ll want to let the world know that you’ll be out of the office while on vacation but that doesn’t mean they need to know when you get back. Give yourself and extra day at work by extending your out of office response. You still get to listen to the messages but won’t have to deal with an “avalanche” on your first day back.
Come Back on Wednesday
Is there anything better than a short work week? Instead of returning to work on a Monday after your vacation, why not come back on Tuesday or Wednesday? That doesn’t mean staying at the resort for those extra days (but why not?) but hang out at home and keep the vacation glow going. When you do come back to work, take half a day. Who is going to complain?
Schedule Naps
If you traveled to a different time zone on your vacation, then you’re going to need to get back into your zone upon your return. A couple of well-place naps in your schedule can help reset the clock. It’s another reason why you shouldn’t rush back to work the day after your vacation ends.
Schedule an Update
Before you show up back at work, get an update from your coworkers the day before. This way you can plot out a plan of action and prioritize what needs to happen first. Whatever you do, don’t get an update while you’re on actual vacation. Short of everything burning to the ground, your crew should know to leave you alone. Are you ready for that vacation now?
