How to make a smooth Transition from Vacation to Work

We have already talked about the positive benefits of vacation in our earlier blogs. All of us want to give our best, work hard, earn more and maintain our status as a high performer. But, you must always remind yourself of an exponential increase in productivity that is an after effect of getting out of your daily routine! A vacation exposes you to novel experiences, which has a direct correlation to your creativity. It will boost your physical and mental health. It will bring back your focus and inspiration.

Having established the importance of a vacation; returning back to your obligations is difficult and sad always.

Here are some tips to help you smoothly glide back into your office/ work:

Schedule an extra “Buffer” day

Try to arrive back to your town a day in advance of joining back to work. Most of the times when going on a vacation, you join your work the next day you return leading to a chaotic time at home and at work too. Keep this extra day after a vacation to unpack your suitcases, doing laundry, checking emails, refueling groceries etc. when you have sorted out the essentials at home, you will be much more at peace in office.

Do not leave any loose ends

Before you go off for the vacation, prioritize your work, check for the deadlines that need to be met before leaving and what can wait till you come back. Finish all the incomplete tasks, check your inbox, and update your co-workers in the project about the status of the project.

List everything

It is impossible for you to finish all incomplete work before going on vacation. Create a list of all the to-do work so that you can start from where you left upon return. Having the clear picture of your tasks will also help you relax during vacations.

Clear and Tidy up clutter

You do not want to return to an onslaught of phone messages, emails and tasks with missed deadlines. Minimize the clutter on your workspace before you leave. Organize and label files so that your teammates can easily access them in your absence. Create an out of office reply for email and phone with details of your time and length of absence.

Get back into work easily

Arrive an hour or two earlier than your normal office hours on the first day at the office after vacation. Use this hour to catch up on emails, important dates on a calendar.  Plan your day before you can actually dive into work again. Take the high priority work first and do it one by one. Do not try to do everything at once as it will make you overwhelmed and stressed.

Do the planning in advance so that you can thank yourself later!

Also read our blog Why vacations are mandatory