Guest Post: Dr. Sarah Reiff-Hekking
Baby Girl will be six weeks old on Friday – and it’s the last week for my amazing guest authors. If you haven’t yet, be sure to get on their mailing lists so you can keep in contact with them. Each guest author was chosen because I KNOW you’ll learn something from them.
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Easing Re-entry:
3 Tips for Getting Back to Work After a Break
When the world feels unpredictable, it can be helpful to look to the things we can always count on. The first moments of a summer vacation or long holiday weekend will always be blissful. The last night before it’s time to go back to work or school might always seem tough, no matter how much you love what you do.
I’m feeling this. I’ve recently returned home from my own summer vacation. My family rented a house in Cape Cod, where we spent the week riding bikes, walking on the beach and doing puzzles. We were super careful about being socially distant, and it ended up being a wonderful break.
Looking ahead to the start of my work week, I’m thinking about how tough re-entry to “normal life” can be after time away. That’s true no matter what your normal looks like or what you’ve done with your time away. It doesn’t matter whether you’re finishing a month-long trip to the shore or a weekend camping trip. Getting back into work or school mode can be a painful adjustment but it doesn’t have to be.
Good Time Management Starts With Good Planning
For busy professionals, there can be a lot of time management work that goes into getting ready for a break. Clearing your schedule takes planning. There are projects to wrap up, emails to send, to-do lists to finish.
Planning is just as useful on the other side of your break. I have three key tips to help you make re-entry just a little bit smoother.
1. Consciously plan how you’re going to get restarted and back into work mode.
Ideally, if you’re traveling for vacation, this planning starts when you’re first figuring out those logistics. If you plan to go back to work on a Monday, arrange travel so you’re home on Saturday. That extra day is time to decompress, take care of errands and household chores, and start thinking about your re-entry process and the week ahead.
This buffer time is important whenever you’re preparing for re-entry. It’s not just for summer vacations. Taking that time between [fun, relaxing activity] and [whatever you’re gearing up for] allows you to make a conscious shift in your mindset. For example, at the end of a long weekend or holiday break, you might block out the afternoon and evening of the last day. Make this your time alone to do whatever you need to do to get ready for the next day.
Also, get clear about what you’re going to do first when you do start that next day. What can you put on your schedule that will pull you into your work when you first sit down? Keep Reading!