How to Beat the Back to Work Blues
Whether you’re returning to work after the long weekend or a two week break in the Bahamas, it’s always a bit of a struggle to get motivated, but motivated you must be. So how can you beat those back to work blues and resist the temptation to slump across your desk in despair? It’s all about a combination of self-discipline, reward and looking at the bigger picture, but whatever path you take, we hope at least one of these tips works for you…
Re-Organise Your Work Space
At this moment in time you might be regretting that mad dash from work last Friday when you left at least half a dozen tasks up in the air and your desk hidden under a pile of to-do lists. So to start with, a tip for the next bank holiday or break – don’t leave yourself with a huge mess to clean up when you return. Now we’ve got that out of the way, what can you do to clear the fog in your workspace as well as the fog in your brain? Set yourself aside a little bit of time to get organised and perhaps even re-jig your workspace if possible - a clear desk will go at least some way towards aa clear mind. Even if this is just for a small home office you can take great tips from the big design agencies. People like Morgan Lovell offer tips about finding storage solutions, setting budgets and using mood boards to design your space.
Fit Some Exercise into Your Day
It might be the very last thing you feel like doing, but even a small amount of exercise can help give you the boost you need to get back into the swing of things. Even if not you’re not a fan of the gym, skip a bus stop or two in the morning and enjoy a brisk walk - it could make all the difference to your mood and set yourself up for a more positive day.
Book Your Next Holiday
This may sound counter-productive, but a huge part of those back to work blues is feeling you don’t have anything to look forward to in the near future after an eventful summer. Well then, give yourself something to look forward too! You can use Thomas Cook voucher codes to save money on either a winter break or your summer holiday for 2017, and if you have a definite holiday goal to work towards, you might find the daily grind slightly less down beat.
Plan a Day Out
If your budget doesn’t quite stretch to another holiday just yet, there are other things you can do to cheer yourself up. Make the most of the days off you do have by planning a spectacular day out. This doesn’t have to cost loads of money – you can organise a free day out in a museum you’ve never visited before followed by a picnic in the park while the weather’s still good, or if you want something extra special, Virgin Experience Days promo codes offer great discounts on a wide choice of activities – you could even book a class to learn a new skill.
Re-Assess Your Career
Or perhaps your back to work lethargy is a symptom of something a bit more serious. If you think a career change might be in order, then maybe now is the time to have a good think about what it is you really want to do. Many people have a definite vocation in mind, but for others it can be a hard thing to pinpoint. A good starting point is to find something you actually enjoy doing and trying out an online course is a good method of discovery – Central College for Education offer a gateway to a huge selection of online courses that can act as inspiration and you might even be able to afford to give a few things a go before you decide.
Going back to work after a holiday doesn’t have to mean doom and gloom – find some new satisfaction in what you do, don’t waste those weekends and plan your future, whether that means new horizons or just a winter mini-break.
By Anna Scott, 30th August 2016