Many of us are familiar with the annual ‘back to school’ photo at the front door or in the playground. For years when our kids were little enough to attend primary school, we took their photo against the frog numbers in the playground. I loved capturing those moments of progression from P1 to P7. And as my daughter takes her last back to school photo this year for S6, it feels even more poignant to capture those fleeting moments in time.
But what about the parents?
Just as my kids have mixed emotions about going back, so do I. I feel a sense of relief that my working diary is now child free, but I’m also aware of my little holiday list of ‘home projects’ that I never quite got around to doing, which remain unscored out, and the backlog of work projects that I had every intention of giving dedicated time to – but didn’t.
Like my children, I know the first half week back is a practice run of getting up, dressed and ready for the day. Unlike them, my daily schedule isn’t already timetabled out for me, so the first week I tend to take time to plan ahead for the coming quarter. In the past I’ve had to remind myself that this first day back isn’t an intensive catch-up session, but instead can be a slow build up to on-going momentum.
Whenever we take time away from our desk, we can often feel the need to catch up with the past one, two or school weeks off all in our first day. It’s simply impossible! A 2021 survey suggested that 87% of people admitted feeling apprehensive about returning to work after a holiday, often worrying about getting back into the work routine and having to catch up on the backlogged work.
So instead of giving in to the stress and holiday guilt, we should consider pacing ourselves over the coming days and ideally week.
Here are some of the strategies that work for me before and on my return date:
- Be prepared – make sure that you’ve done the food shopping at least for the next few days and plan an easy tea for your first day back. Remember to KISS – Keep It Super Simple.
- Take time to plan – plan your diary for the coming day, week or rest of the month. Remember it’s about pacing yourself not pulling an all-dayer.
- Prioritise your tasks – consider what process works best for you as you decide what is urgent and important and needs your attention, for who, and by when.
- (If you can) Avoid any key meetings or deliverables on day one – you might need to block time out to avoid anyone else ‘squeezing’ things in on your first day back.
- Catch up with colleagues – find ways to connect with others who will get you up to speed, and to reconnect over holiday highlights.
- Look after yourself – don’t work late and play even later on day one. And remember to take your breaks! Going back to work after time off can feel exhausting, so listen to what your body is telling you.
- Plan your next holiday – as odd as it sounds, knowing that there will be another holiday (even if you don’t know where, yet) will help reduce the returning from holiday blues.
Going back to work after the school holidays, whether a new or familiar experience, will always be a mix of emotions and intentions. So this year, take your time and as Stephen Covey suggests ‘begin with the end in mind’. And remember, if you want even more help at adjusting – get in touch with us. We’re happy to offer you a free coaching session with no strings attached, to help support you.
