Effective Tips on Getting Back to Work After the Holidays

Vacations and holidays are the best – until it’s time to return to reality. Going back to work after any time off can be dispiriting, especially after the festive cheer and sweet treats of the year-end holidays. But vacations can’t last forever, and that’s what makes them so cherished. If you could be on holiday every day, you definitely won’t appreciate your off-duty days half as much.

If getting back into the daily grind makes you sad, anxious, or stressed, don’t worry: You are not alone. Post-holiday blues are normal and healthy and are a sign of robust psychological functioning. It means you recognise and accept the emotional consequences of having a good time while acknowledging your return to regular life.

What Is Post-Vacation Syndrome?

Also known as the holiday blues, post-vacation syndrome shares many symptoms of anxiety or a mood disorder: low energy, irritability, insomnia, lack of concentration, and short temper. Unlike depression, though, these feelings of distress are often short-lived. Experts point at the sudden adrenaline comedown, or the abrupt withdrawal of stress hormones after a milestone occasion (like Christmas), as the main culprit. 

It’s very common, too. A survey showed that 87 per cent of people admitted to feeling apprehensive about returning to work after the holidays. They cited these as the things they dread the most: getting back to the routine (37 per cent); catching up with backlogged work (31 per cent); feeling overwhelmed with busy work (27 per cent), and unread emails and messages (26 per cent).

Factors that contribute to the blues

Several factors can lead to a heightened experience of post-vacation syndrome:

• You are not getting enough sleep.

Last-minute party preps, back-to-back get-togethers, travelling to different time zones, endless activities – the jam-packed schedules during the holidays can easily translate to disrupted sleep patterns or very few hours of sleep, if any. It takes a toll on the body, negatively affecting one’s well-being.

• You practise an unhealthy diet and lack exercise.

Excessive eating and alcohol consumption, paired with a lack of exercise, feel gratifying during the holidays. But these invite physical and emotional health consequences, which you usually pay for in January.

• You still work while on holiday.

Nine out of 10 Singaporeans have trouble switching off from work, while 42 per cent still work through the holidays, according to studies. As a result, many workers are mentally drained once the vacation ends – feeling they didn’t take a break at all.

Why It’s Necessary to Prepare Before Going Back to Work

Aside from making it easier for you to get out of bed on your first day back, preparing yourself for the “inevitable” creates a more positive experience for you overall and helps you start the year – or any post-vacation period – strong.

• Being prepared decreases overwhelm, allowing you to feel more relaxed and at ease about returning to work. 
• Proper preparations can boost productivity since you’re all caught up and know what you need to do.
• It also makes it easier to jump back into your routine without any or just a few hiccups.

Effective Tips on Getting Back to Work After the Holidays

Ease your way back to work with these simple strategies to beat the post-holiday blues. Ideally, though, your preparation should begin even before you go on vacation.

Make a to-do list before you go on leave.

One of the easiest ways to ensure a smooth return to work is to create a list of tasks that need to be done after your break or delegated while you’re away. It will help you stay on top of your current deliverables and help decrease your stress when you return. 

Tip: Make two lists: a short one for high-priority tasks that you must immediately address and another one for less urgent to-dos.

Give yourself an extra day off.

If you have the luxury of taking an extra day off or two after the official holidays are over, go for it. This “buffer” day is especially beneficial if you’ve just returned from a trip or have been booked and busy endlessly. Use the time to recalibrate, rest, and prepare for work.

Similarly, you can also make your first week back a short one. For example: Instead of going back on a Monday, push it back to Wednesday so it doesn’t feel too daunting or overwhelming. 

Start slow on Day 1.

It might seem productive to dive into emails and meetings as soon as you clock in, but doing so will likely leave you feeling burnt out in just a few hours. Kick things off in a relaxed manner. Spend the morning tidying up your desk. Then, do a quick catch-up with colleagues over coffee or plan the week’s schedule. You’re likely to be more ready to tackle all your pending emails and messages after this “warm-up.”

That said, it would be wise to arrive early on your first day so you can enjoy a bit of quiet before things start getting busy.

Get up to speed with the larger goings-on.

Before diving deep into your pool of tasks and working on individual projects, align with your manager and teammates on what’s going on in the larger scheme of things. Get in the loop with what’s happening in the company and get updates about team deliverables. It initiates a mindset shift, reminding you that you’re “part” of something and helping you ease back into team player mode.

Make time for socialisation.

Make a point of catching up with your colleagues over lunch or coffee. Ask them how their holidays went, swap stories, and inquire about their goals for the new year. These bonding sessions are essential for building a positive working environment and fostering collaborative relationships.

Remember to take breaks.

Don’t expect you’ll be back to being 100 per cent at work on your first day back. Take it easy and acknowledge the fact that returning to work after leave usually entails a challenging transition in terms of focus and productivity. Pace yourself and make sure to allot quick breaks every hour or so. Over-exerting can easily backfire and just make you more stressed and anxious. 

Practice gratitude.

It’s easy to moan and whine about all the things we wish we didn’t have to do in life, but that would be counterproductive. Why not start practising gratitude? You have a decent job to return to. You just had a relaxing holiday (not everyone has that luxury). And you can take another one soon if you want to. So be grateful for what you have and focus on the possibilities that lay ahead.

How Organisations Can Make the Return to Work Easier for Employees

In this day and age when mental health wellness in the workplace is constantly spotlighted, it’s not far-reaching to expect organisations to take steps in making the post-holiday transition smoother for employees. Here are some things they can do:

Encourage the use of out-of-office auto-replies or auto-decline for meetings.

Encouraging employees to set up automatic responders before they go on vacation shows that the company respects the worker’s time off and is helping to ensure that they won’t be disturbed while on holiday. Plus, it informs other colleagues of the employee’s unavailability, which helps manage expectations. 

Assist in delegating work.

Are there tasks that need to be done ASAP? Managers should be able to help workers delegate their to-dos before going on holiday instead of pressuring you to finish everything or work while on leave.

However, do your part and be conscientious about your own projects and deadlines. Make sure to get updates from the people who relieved you upon your return to ensure that you’re on track.

Give employees something to look forward to.

Companies can combat feelings of dread amongst workers by continuing the fun after the holidays, whether by organising a back-to-work lunch event or scheduling a start-of-year team-building activity. If your deadlines permit, try to join these efforts. They will help you catch up and bond with your colleagues.

Getting back to work – together.

The experience of post-holiday blues is normal and yes, even the most Type A, go-getting, and overachieving employee isn’t exempt from it. The fact that you want to hold on to the memories and the “highs” of your holiday is a sign of good mental health and not a mental health problem. 

It’s important to note, though, that if you’re experiencing prolonged sadness or anxiety, it might no longer be a typical case of post-holiday syndrome. It’s best to talk to your superior about it or seek professional help.

Visit our Career Resources page or download JobStreet’s app available on the App Store and Google Play for more tips that can guide you in navigating your career. It also offers expert insights and advice that could help you manage your mental health and well-being in the workplace.