5 ways to ease yourself back into work

There's no denying quite how terrible this day is. But - shock horror - there is a way out

You’ve spent two weeks worrying about nothing apart from what your next meal is going to be and which film to watch next. And now, as harshly as your terrible New Years Day hangover, reality has hit. You had to wake up before 11am, you had to get dressed and you to face a whole bunch of people that you probably didn’t want to and who probably didn’t want to see you, either. But! It’s not all doom and gloom…

The way you’re feeling today is more than normal – almost everyone else in the city is going to be feeling exactly the same way. There’s no point in trying to block out your thoughts because in doing this, the build-up of pent-up emotion is inevitably going to come crashing down on you like a tonne of bricks and the blues will hit you at some point. Equally, don’t wallow in self-pity: take the day easily, smoothly and remember – tomorrow is a new day.

Blocking your week out with meetings and not giving yourself any breathing space is going to end in disaster. You need to ease yourself in carefully and gently; block out some time for yourself in a meeting room and slowly go through all of your emails. Start to prioritise: is there really anything that’s urgent? If so, tackle that today and make lists to soothe the pain. Don’t waste time or procrastinate, but equally don’t run around the office like a headless chicken.

Be civil to your colleagues and ask them how their break was, but remember that no one really feeling like talking today. Everyone’s just there to get through the day and the first week back, so being that guy that suggests ‘new year bonding sessions’ is only going to place you in a cold, lonely corner where everyone’s bitter moods are going to get the better of you. Be nice, but not too nice, and hold off on any team bondings sessions for at least another week.

You did it, you managed to have 2 weeks where work wasn’t the be all and end all of life. The world can – shock horror – cope without you. Use this as perspective going forward into the New Year when work gets too much to handle. Learning how to control those feelings of anxiousness and nerves is only going to set you in good stead for the rest of the year rather than letting tiny work issues stop you sleeping at night.

Alex Strohl

Don’t be ridiculous: everyone knows you’re not going to run 10 marathons in 10 days or read a book a week for the rest of the year. Set yourself a goal that you can actually stick to, whether that’s getting a promotion, quitting a job you hate, or taking time off to travel the world for the last six months of the year. Think about the bigger picture, make this year the year that you actually achieve something that you genuinely want to and continue to aim high – nothing should be stopping you.

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