Silke English
Summertime equals vacation time! The air is hot and the office is emptier. We all are looking forward to our breaks and travels. May it be to unwind or go on an adventurous trip. After our days off, we all face the same problem: The Monday after!
The first day after your vacation always seems to be the hardest. Tons of work has piled up on your desk and I am not even speaking about your mailbox yet. Even those of you who are non-stop workaholics in your own startup, it is necessary to take a few days off from work to recharge your batteries.
We listed some helpful hacks, that will make the Monday after much smoother and more enjoyable.
You are preparing for vacation, why don’t you prepare for your first day back as well? I understand that this is not as fun as picking out a hotel or a fancy restaurant that you die to check out, but it will help you get through your first day — and hey, that’s awesome, isn’t it?
Set up your out-of-office messages on your email account, and set your phone line on announcement, and keep this up for the first day back in the office. This gives you valuable extra time to settle in and others do not expect to get a reply to their emails/calls right away. For the ones that have to be on call, you can use automated software to get your voicemails in writing. You can easily read them, instead of spending your time listening through all your left messages. This feature is also helpful, for when you get back to work. If you are looking for such a solution, you might want to look into Yodel.
Your first day back will be already filled with going through your mail and emails. Most certainly you will find some paperwork on your desk that needs attention as well. People working remotely — with their virtual desks — are not exempt from this. The last thing you want to have is a calendar filled with calls and meetings. Try to avoid scheduling meetings on your first day back, so you can be more flexible with your time management. Side note advice: When back in the office, do not go through your emails chronologically. Filter them by sender and see which ones are important and which ones can wait.
Coming back from your vacation to an overloaded desk is not a good feeling. You most likely will be overwhelmed by sticky notes and old to-do lists. Take some time and clean your desk and declutter. To ease your mind while being out of the office, put together a to-do list for the first week coming back to work. Only write down the most important points, so you will not be lost and continue working as sufficiently as before you went on your break.
Bonus: Tell your coworkers thanks. Your vacation time is someone else’s busiest week. :-)
