As a child, there was nothing worse than that gut-wrenching feeling you’d get in the pit of your stomach at about 7pm the night before going back to school after the summer holidays. You’d think now as fully-grown adults in careers we’ve chosen and the fact we get paid to be there that going back to work after a few weeks off wouldn’t be half as bad as the dread of having to once again don that tight, itchy school uniform and attend double maths first thing on Monday morning.
Yet, somehow, here we all are however many years later and going back to work after Christmas is just as torturous as going to back to school was, if not more so. What gives?
The reason might very well be that the short break gives us a glimpse of how we pictured adult life to be when we were younger before we had to worry about thing like jobs, taxes and having to book our own dentist appointments.
Combine this with a lot of late nights, the subsequent morning after hangovers, regularly binge eating yourself into a food coma and not having to set your alarm at the crack of dawn to wake up for work, and it’s easy to see why getting back into the swing of things after the break is harder physically, mentally and spiritually as a grown-up.
Fortunately for you, we’ve compiled a list of things that may help in making your return to work a little easier.
Keep the spirit of Christmas alive
While playing Mariah Carey’s Christmas album after December 25th is an arrestable offence, try and find other ways to keep the feeling of joy and togetherness alive while your manager chews your ear off about your yearly targets less than five minutes after you sit down at your desk. Maybe you got a useful Christmas present like a new diary or laptop bag that you can bring in on your first day that’ll make you smile when you use it, or maybe you can wear a Santa hat around the office for a few days because you don’t care what anyone else thinks. Christmas is only over when you say it’s over.
Get started on your New Year’s resolutions
How many times have you made a New Year’s resolution to get healthy or start going to the gym, only to find yourself a few weeks or months later having achieved absolutely nothing? If this sounds like you, taking initial small steps to achieve your goal like buying a pedometer, taking the stairs at work and committing to working out at least twice a week will get you off to a good start. But no matter what your goals are, getting started and taking action will give you a sense of satisfaction and achievement which will naturally improve your mood and flow over to your work life.
Go for lunch with your work bestie
Break up your seemingly never-ending work week by popping out for lunch with your work bestie. Chances are you both broke the bank on Christmas gifts and have been eating leftover turkey and ham for 14 days straight, so why not buy a salad and take it to a local park and swap holiday horror stories? NB: if you don’t have a work BFF, you’ve just got yourself another New Year’s resolution – get a work BFF.
Make a list
There’s something about making a to-do list that motivates and inspires us to actually get stuff done, and the New Year is the perfect time to do it. Start small by making a list for your first day to help you get over your post-Christmas depression or go one further and organise your entire diary for January. If you’re feeling really wild (or you’re just looking for a reason to procrastinate), have a proper think about what goals you want to achieve this year both at work and in your personal life.
Plan something fun to do on Friday night
If work really is hell on Earth for you (and yes, we’ve all had those jobs), the best thing you can do is remind yourself that as of 5pm on Friday you are free – for 48 hours anyway. Even though your body composition is currently made up of dangerously high levels of red wine post-Christmas, get in contact with one of your mates who you mightn’t have seen in the midst of all the holiday madness and plan a fun night out. Having something to look forward to will make your first week go by a lot quicker.
