Whatever you do, don’t lose that holiday feeling.

At this time of the year, many in the northern hemisphere are finishing or coming towards the end of their much-awaited summer holiday.

Maybe you’ve travelled, spent time at home, been with friends and family, and enjoyed some of your favourite things, like camping, reading, sailing, swimming, or whatever else takes your fancy.

And most importantly, we hope you’re all relaxed and full of new energy when returning to work.

Once you’re back at work, it’s easy to lose that holiday feeling quickly, together with that level of energy, and suddenly, it feels like you’ve not had any holiday at all.

Yes, we’ve been there and done that – and you probably have too.

But don’t worry. There are ways to hold on to the benefits of the holiday for longer. Coming back to work is an opportunity for a new start and new habits.

Here are five habits we’ve found useful when it comes to holding on to the benefits of your time off:

Laugh more

Laughing releases endorphins that can reduce stress hormones and boost your immune system. Besides, it’s supposed to be fun at work:-)

Take a walk

Take a walk during your lunch, even if only briefly. Get outside, get some fresh air, and breathe deeply.

Connect

Connect with people at work. Get to know your colleagues so that you enjoy spending work time with them (if you don’t already, of course!)

Recharge

Don’t wait until the weekend or your next holiday to recharge. Find ways of recharging your own ‘battery’ regularly. Ask yourself, “What gives me energy?”  and make sure you allow some time for that during your day. This doesn’t have to be at work, of course. Take time to see friends, spend time alone, exercise, or put your feet up – make sure you know what you need

Focus

Don’t get into the habit of working all hours. Some of the most successful and happy people we have encountered over the years are not always “on” but those who can really focus while at work and equally focus on being off when they’re off. Working all hours is not a recipe for success

Be 100% present

This is easier said than done with all the digital tools at our disposal, constantly vying for our attention, but it can be done. Just focus on what you are doing in each moment; if you’re conversing with someone, don’t check your emails simultaneously. Or if you are writing a report, don’t talk to your colleague at the same time. Constant re-direction of your focus is a massive time waster (everything takes longer to do this way) and also eats up energy. With focus, you get things done quicker, leading to a sense of accomplishment and completion, which produces more mental energy.

So welcome back to work! And don’t forget to have fun.

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes…Including you”.

Anne Lamott