The alarm wakes you with a shock, the summer holiday is over and it's time to face that inbox full of unread emails. This time last week, life was very different. You enjoyed late nights, lazy mornings balancing family fun and you time.
Even if you enjoy your job, the transition from holiday to work can be hard, particularly in September as the days begin to shorten. Here are some ways of making the transition a little bit easier. It can be tempting to launch straight into tackling the hardest task first.
But careers coach Sarah Robinson says it's better to "ease back in" by starting with small, manageable tasks and "quick wins". "It's about trying to build momentum, because I think sometimes it can just feel overwhelming when you've got a massive inbox," she says. Counsellor Susan Carr agrees.
She says it isn't possible in every industry but where viable "be a bit kinder with your expectations of what you need to do on that first day back in the office." That could mean spending the day going through emails rather than a full day of back-to-back meetings. Tara Humphrey, a primary care leadership consultant, advocates keeping her out-of-office on for her first day back. "It's about hiding, if you can, just to give yourself that bit of headspace." She also says re-entry into work life can be made easier by a clearly-written out-of-office message, encouraging people to follow up when she is back in the office - that eases the stress of whether you have missed something important while on holiday.
She recalls a colleague who would simply delete all the emails he had been sent during his holiday. "He said, 'if people want me, they'll come back to me'." Carr says it is also worth remembering what was enjoyable on holiday and "whether there's a way of integrating that more into your everyday life". While it may not be realistic to have a siesta every day, you could try cooking some Spanish food, she suggested.
She also recommends holding on to the curiosity we have when in a new place and trying to be a tourist in our own area. "If we go away somewhere else... we might be looking at the architecture, visiting buildings, and I think - and I know I'm guilty of this in Manchester - we don't always appreciate what's on our doorstep." Psychotherapist Dr Joy Conlon, who runs wellbeing coaching service Alive 365, agrees. "Bring one restorative part of the holiday home with you.
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