Holiday Blues
It need not be that way! Listen here
Downtime…A time to relax and enjoy precious time with friends and loved ones…Lazy lie ins, holidays…Whatever you wish! The reality is that the return to work is inevitable! It’s also how we earn our living and pay for our holidays!
Holidays are an escape…No worries…No deadlines…And no pressure!
So why do we get holiday blues? First of all, it’s natural…Surely sub drenched beaches and not a care in the world, is an appealing thought!
Let’s start with the job itself. Does it give you job satisfaction and do you have a healthy relationship with your line manager, your peers and your team? A work environment needs to be supportive and where we have strong working relationships. Part of the holiday blues can come from worry of the unexpected, what might have happened while you have been away. We often spend our lives worrying about minutia and 95% of which never materialize!
Before you leave for your holidays, think about any projects or deadlines that you are committed to…work in general and be realistic in the days leading up to your holidays. Make sure that you have a full hand over meeting with the relevant person. With a solid communication system in place, there should be no surprises while you are away! If you have direct reports, meet with them, give them some guidelines to work to in your absence…Some autonomy. Give them the chance to shine.
Our own self-talk will focus on the negatives unless you change it! There may be some pleasant surprises upon your return…Maybe some welcome news! In your absence, your teams may have excelled and risen to the occasion in your absence. Emails responded to where possible…Make sure your out of office directs people to the correct deputies and have a simple “to read folder”.
Refreshed from your break, come back with new zest…Plan the next few months, and create some powerful goals…What are YOU going to achieve?
Make the workplace one of excitement and banish the holiday blues.
“Don’t count the days…Make the days count”
Muhammad Ali