8 Tips for Transitioning Back to Work After Summer Vacation
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Even if you couldn’t get away for vacation or took a vacation back in June – there’s something that happens during the summer. Schedules seem to be a little more relaxed, both at home and at the office. After a low key summer schedule, when it’s time to get back into the swing of fall schedules, it can be hard to get motivated. You no longer have fun summer weekends to look forward to and the next long weekend feels a little too far away.
So how can you get back into a work groove without losing all of the ease of summer vacation? Follow these eight tips to ease back into the fall work schedule or after you’ve been away on vacation:

1. Plan your time off.

Just because you’re back to work doesn’t mean that you need to make your life all about work. You can find pockets of free time that you can make all about having a good time. Plan a fun evening for you, your friends, or your family. You can even plan for a weekend trip somewhere in the near future.

2. Take it one day at a time.

Sometimes, coming back to work can be overwhelming because there’s so much to do. Your mind may race through all the things you’ll need to accomplish over the next few weeks. That’ll make your thoughts and days unbearable. Instead, focus on one day at a time – the work will get done, no matter how overwhelming it seems.

3. Organize your life on the first day back.

When you first get back to work, spend the day organizing. If you have a desk job, organize your computer files and email as well as your desk. This can help you feel a sense of accomplishment, while also clearing the clutter that contributed to feeling overwhelmed.

4. If you can afford it – do a few half days.

If you still have vacation days left, you can ask your employer if it’s okay to do a couple of half days to transition yourself back to work. This way, you can start slowly when getting back into work mode. You’ll still have portions of your day that you can plan for yourself and your family.

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Even if your next trip is far into the future, you can still dream about what it’ll be like. There are many benefits to planning early like taking advantage of early bird discounts. Knowing what you want ahead of time puts you in position to grab the best deals first.

6. Take your lunch breaks.

Instead of jumping back into a routine of eating at your desk or getting to lunch if you can – plan for something different. Your first day back, plan a special lunch for yourself at your favorite restaurant or some place new that you have always wanted to try. On a budget? Pack a special lunch with a few extra treats.

7. Make a vacation collage or scrapbook.

Did you take pictures? Or create lots of videos of your vacation? Create a scrapbook of multimedia presentation of the fun you had. Remembering the good times you had on a break or vacation can help “extend” your time off. Doing this after work or on weekends is a great way to keep your vacation going in your mind.

8. Focus on positives.

If transitioning back to work is turning out to be more challenging than you expected, it might be because you’re focusing on the negative aspects of your work. Even people in their dream jobs will tell you there are certain things they simply don’t like about their work. Finding the positives and expressing gratitude for having a job to take a vacation from can help you get back into your work groove.

And remember, before you know it vacation time will be here again. You can still learn to enjoy your life no matter what time of year it is. It’s your choice – choose to make the most of every day by finding ways to sprinkle a little vacation mentality into every day.