How To Stay Motivated At Work After A Summer Holiday
Rejoice, summer holiday season is upon us! Unfortunately, what this inevitably brings with it is the dreaded back-to-school feeling. Whether it’s a job you’ve been in for 20 years or a brand new job we’ve created a guide to help ease you back into work. After all, one minute you’re sipping a wonderful glass of pina colada in some corner of the world whilst watching the sun go down; and the next there’s that dreaded feeling which creeps up when you realise that you have to make your way back to the office and tackle those tasks you promised yourself you would ‘after the holiday’.
It’s easy for your motivation to take a beating over the summer holidays and it can be awfully hard to feel fired up for work again. But it doesn’t all have to be doom and gloom. Here are seven ways to help you brighten up your life post summer holiday and just in time for leafy autumn.
Arrive early
One of the best things to do is get in early, turn your attention to your to do list and get going when it’s fairly quiet, before everyone else arrives and you’re pulled in every directions with countless meetings.
Work at your own pace
Are you a morning person or an evening person? Plan and schedule challenging tasks for a time when you’re at your most efficient. If you seem to work best in the mornings, avoid going through emails and replying to each one of them first thing when you step through the door. Instead, pick the big, tough-to-do tasks and get them out of the way. You can also try and schedule important meetings for when you know you’re going to be at your best.
Put that phone down
It can be upsetting to get back to the desk after a long holiday but avoid texting, emailing, tweeting about it or even calling someone to let off steam. Before you know it, you would’ve spent an hour (or two or three) reminiscing about your holiday while precious time at hand is lost. Instead, take a walk or a quick break and do something that energises you.
Prioritise and cut the frills
Your time is your best resource at work. Make a list of who and what you need to spend your time and energy on to achieve your targets. Post-holiday catch ups take up most of one’s time at the office – but learn to be smart with your time and try sticking to your to-do list each week.
Work Out
It might already be on your personal to-do list but working out and taking an hour off to work on your health is known to increase productivity. It’ll lift your spirits, which means your motivational levels can be improved dramatically. Go on, hit the gym.
Take your breaks seriously
It’s easy to get carried away and turn into a workaholic for a couple of days after a long holiday but avoiding break time will only lead to you burning out. Recharge your batteries every now and then – even if this means stepping away from your computer every couple of hours and catching the sunlight for a few minutes.
Book your next holiday
What? Think it doesn’t work? Try it for yourself and see! Booking yourself a new holiday is proven to be the best antidote to post-holiday blues because it gives you something to look forward to again and as is a great way to boost your morale.