10 Simple Ways to Get Back to Work After a Vacation

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As summer is coming to an end and those long-awaited vacations are now in the past, it’s time to get back into the swing of things. Whether you’re a work from home entrepreneur like me or have a 9 to 5 you have to clock back into, getting back to work after a vacation can be dreadful.

Lovely woman with eyeglasses in red and white shirt, sitting in the kitchen during breakfast using her phone.

If you’re in the middle of creating a game plan for your return to work after a fun vacation, you’re in luck. Below are 10 simple ways to get back to work after a vacation.

Remember to recharge

Ensuring a productive return to work begins with an intentional vacation. Make sure you use your time off to recharge and unplug from your daily responsibilities. This will help your transition back to work be a re-energized one.

Return early

It’s normal to want to do all the things during your vacation, but it’s just as important to plan for a grace period. This can be as short as one day. This single day can be used to ease your way back to your daily tasks. Use it to get organized, brain dump, or any other priority on your to-do list.

Get caught up

A lot can happen in a few short weeks. Make sure you’re up to date with all the news and updates within your company. This can help you prioritize tasks on your to-do list and help you gain clarity on any pressing assignments.

Get organized

There’s nothing more overwhelming than a messy desk and scattered paperwork. Getting organized can help you create structure and gain clarity. A little bit of tiding can go a long way.

Clean and prioritize inbox

Organizing your digital space can be just as impactful as cleaning up your physical work areas.  Take some time to go through your emails and prioritize the assignments and requests in each of them.

Create a to-do listClose-up Of A Businesswoman Making Agenda On Personal Organizer At Workplace

So, you’ve recharged, caught up, and organized, now what? It’s time to get to work. Create a master to-do list with all your pending tasks and break it up into realistic goals. 3-5 tasks per day are not only attainable, but it ensures you’re not putting too much on your plate.

Take breaks as needed

Need a vacation from your vacation? Workloads after time away from the job can be overwhelming, so it’s important to take breaks as needed. There’s nothing worse than burning out soon after a recharge.

Minimize distractions

Between emails, phone calls, and meetings, it’s no surprise it’s hard to get back into the groove after vacation. Minimizing distractions will ensure you’ll conquer your to-do list and meet your deadlines. Putting your phone on airplane mode, opting out of meeting you’re not needed in, or asking co-workers to be mindful of your time can go a long way.

Focus on one thing at a time

While multitasking can be a tempting stab to successfully conquering your long to-do list, it’s important to work on one thing at a time. Focus on tasks in order of your prioritized to-do list.  

Remember to breathe

Amid all the chaos and to-dos, it’s important to ground and center yourself. Taking as little as one minute to take some deep breaths can help your focus and productivity in the long run.