The Easter break is over and you are already back to work.  If you woke up this morning feeling down at the prospect of returning to work and/or the daily routine, here are 6 quick steps to getting you back on the right track:

1. Pace yourself

Try and keep your diary relatively free on your first day back to give you time to ease back into work and catch up.  It will also give you time to plan the week ahead but remember to be realistic.

2. Keep your ‘Out of office’ email alert on for an extra day

This will buy you more time, allowing you to catch up and ease back into your work.  Let’s be honest, if the request is urgent, they can phone or come and see you.

3. Next time, take an extra day off

Reducing your working week by an additional one or two days’ will give you a psychological boost and the prospect of returning for a shorter week will not feel quite so bad.

4. Book your next break

By making a list of things that you enjoy and scheduling them into your life, you are breaking down your work activities into sizeable chunks with a reward at the end of each.   This can make a real difference to how you approach your work and what you are able to achieve.

5. Look after yourself

Try and get enough sleep, eat well and exercise.  Just taking a short walk can have a positive impact on your mood – try it!

6. Taking action

Perhaps it is time for a change if the negative feelings you experienced this morning do not disappear after a few days.  Chances are that you are not just missing your short break but there are some serious underlying issues with your work.  Perhaps you are bored with limited prospects for progression or you feel constantly pressured to exceed ever increasing targets or you just don’t feel committed to your company any more.  Whatever the reason, you can turn things around by taking positive action.  For example, speaking to your boss about your workload or exploring opportunities to progress your career.  Of course, you may have concluded that you need a complete career change – so time to update that CV and begin searching for your next move.

By Bruce Ramshaw

Principal Consultant