A fresh start after the summer break –
this is how it works

Just a moment ago you were sitting light-hearteded by the glittering blue sea, hiking through imposing mountain worlds or enjoying historical sites, without thinking about the worries at home. But unfortunately, every wonderful vacation ends at some point. Everyday life has you back and you have to (or are allowed to) work again.

But returning to the office does not have to be a complete nightmare. In fact, there are certain steps you can take on the first day of work after your vacation that make it easier to get started.

With a simple strategy you can dive back into your familiar working environment in no time at all:

The early bird catches the worm

If you want to enter the world of work more easily again, you need to prepare yourself. If you start a little earlier, you can already view a part of the backlog before your colleagues arrive. This reduces the work avalanche and gives you a head start, without distraction.

Before you delve into individual e-mails and projects, it is important to get a comprehensive idea of what happened during your absence or if there were major events or changes. This way you are generally up to date before you delve into the day-to-day details of your work.

Don't bit off more then you can chew

On the first day of your return, don't plan too many meetings and appointments. You will just feel overwhelmed and behind with your work.

Keep the day as open as possible so that you have time to familiarise yourself. Take a few minutes to plan your day before you rush into work, focus on priorities and don't be afraid to ask for support.

Deal with emergencies first. Decide what is most important for your work, your boss and your project list in Merlin Project. Look at the big picture, not at what comes up one after the other. Learn to say no to low priority things that are thrown in your way.

Don't get lost in your inbox

Beware of spending too much time replying to the emails you missed while you were away.

Consider whether this is the best use of your time on the first day after your return. Don't confuse email activities with productive work. Be strategic and only answer emails that are time-sensitive at first.

Stay focused

I'm sure there's a bunch of distractions waiting for you in the office. Your colleagues will ask you how your vacation went. Social media and headlines will make you feel like you've lost touch with your friends and the world in general.

Don't waste time chatting or flicking through the news. Use breaks to report on your vacation. Otherwise try to concentrate on your work. Here a Kanban board helps a lot.

Get in touch with your team and your customers

Get in touch with your boss and your colleagues and let them know what you are working on. A short and relatively superficial update on the vote should be absolutely sufficient here until you are back to work and have your backlog under control.

You should also get in touch with your best customers so that they know that they are at the top of your list and that you are back when they need something. This is a simple customer service touchpoint that can make a big impression.

Take care of yourself

Since you have had time to relax and are well rested, you might be tempted to get going right after your vacation. You want to get everything up and running on the first day.

But this approach will backfire. It produces a lot of stress and increases the likelihood of making mistakes. There is a danger that you will actually do less instead of being more productive.

Instead, you should make sure that you take breaks. In this way you can draw on the recovery you gained on vacation for some time.