Have you tried to concentrate at work but found it difficult to motivate yourself after that long awaited holiday? Well, have no fear! You are not alone in this. 57% of the population in the UK have reportedly felt depressed after coming home from their holiday.
It isn’t always easy to bounce back to work and get back up to full speed after spending more than a week at home, waking up at 10am, still in your pajamas, whipping up breakfast while catching up on your favourite soaps, and going for a leisurely stroll while catching up with friends.
Below are some tips to motivate yourself when feeling the holiday’s blues.
Plan and prioritize
Make a list of the few things you want to achieve before the week runs out. You can also add things you actually want for your health, relationship, social life and yourself. This can be a hard list to make but it can put things in perspective and motivate you to work.
You can start with a list of what you don’t want if you are not quite sure of what tasks to do yet. Do not procrastinate. This can include your long commute to work, the overgrown garden or cluttered house, the difficult co-worker or angry boss or some clients with late payments.
It’s awfully easy to start dreaming about your next holiday before you finish unpacking. Do not fret at the pictures of people online who are still sunbathing on a beach somewhere and sipping martinis. This is a sign that you need to engage in more pleasurable and motivating activities. Plan ahead to help avoid workplace blues and make sure you don’t have a dull moment when you’re home; do things you enjoy like reading a book, or grabbing lunch with a friend.
Eat healthily and make time for yourself
Be self-considerate, do not over exert yourself or work at unreasonable hours on the first week back. Do not skimp on breaks so you don’t experience a burnout. Make time to go for lunch breaks and ensure you eat a healthy meal. If you must snack, snack on vegetables, salads, juice boxes and fruits to boost your sugar level. Take a 5 minutes’ walk around the office to ‘recharge’ or make a detour outdoors.
Get organized and de-clutter
On your first day of resumption, get to work earlier than everyone so you can settle down before you are pulled in every direction with the demand of the job. The next thing to do is to declutter your workstation. All that mess can dampen your spirit and ruin all the pep-talk you gave yourself the night before. Organize your files and notepad in the appropriate places.
Keep your table and environment neat by shredding all the old meeting notes, delete junk mail, and sort your emails so you don’t miss out on anything.
Dress for the occasion
On the first day of work, wear a power suit or an outfit that speaks volumes and boosts your confidence. This may sound ridiculous, but the confidence and motivation you get from looking great in your outfit can boost your workplace performance.