Some tips from Surviving the Post-Vacation Blues:
Throw a party. “I would suggest that offices have post-vacation office parties that allow people to show photos from their vacations and talk about their vacations, and thus bring some of their vacation spirit back to work with them,” advises Virginia Commonwealth’s Humphrey. “For example, if some of the people went at beach locations, they could have beach parties, with beach blankets, etc. More importantly, if companies use good motivational principles throughout the year, then employees shouldn’t feel too blue about coming back to work.” ? Step away from the e-mail. You know your e-mail inbox is going to be overflowing, so take time before you jump in, recommends workplace communications trainer Laurent Duperval. “Most people receive too much e-mail every day, and if the first thing you see upon your return is that you have 328 e-mails waiting, that’s a good recipe for the blues,” she says. Pamper yourself. “Schedule a meal at a fabulous restaurant for when you return. Ditto for a spa, concert or whatever else turns you on,” says Adrian Miller, a sales training expert. Get a jump on work. While it might sound counterintuitive, “some people find it helpful to go into the office early on their first day back, or even on the night before their first day back, in order to clear out their inbox,” says Joseph Weiner, chief of consultation psychiatry at North Shore University Hospital. Bring a bit of sand to the office. Photos of your vacation or souvenirs are a great way to relive the fun you had. “Good feelings aren’t over because vacation has ended. You can conjure up a good memory anytime you like,” notes Debbie Mandel, author of the upcoming book, “Addicted to Stress: A Woman’s 7-Step Program to Reclaim Joy and Spontaneity in Life.”
Would these help? I’m not particularly into the party and photos idea. Not everyone takes a vacation (and not everyone deserves to see your photos!).
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:55 am
Oh god no. Not the photos. Good way to make enemies. I only deal with that from a select few.
Here are my three:
Make sure your house is clean before you leave, With clean sheets and towels. Makes it a bit more bearable to come home, particularly if you’ve been in a hotel. (Note that I never get around to the clean sheets and towels, though…)
Come back mid-week so you have a short week when you get back.
Take an extra day off to unpack and recover.
September 2nd, 2008 at 9:03 am
I think you have it down. I especially like returning to a clean house and clean office.
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:43 pm
In my experience, things that helped was coming back to a short week, and giving oneself a day between return home and return to work. Also, I totally agree with the idea of going into work early or staying late to take care of things like clearing out the mailbox, and getting caught up on what the heck was going on in the office while you were gone. I used to live within walking distance of my job, and after a vacation I’d like to come in around noon (only half a day of work, much of which was spent responding to inquiries from everyone about my vacation), and then actually get the REAL work done after hours.