Welcome back from your summer holiday!
We hope it’s been great.
Maybe you’ve travelled, maybe you’ve spent time at home, maybe you’ve been with friends and family, maybe you’ve done 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.
Once you’re back at work, it’s easy to quickly lose that holiday feeling and that level of energy – and all of a sudden it feels like you’ve not had any holiday at all!
Yes, we’ve been there, we’ve 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 therefore also new habits.
Here are some habits we’ve found useful when it comes to holding on to the benefits of your holiday:
• Laugh more. Laughing releases endorphins, can reduce stress hormones and boosts your immune system. Besides, it’s supposed to be fun at work.
• Take a walk during your lunch, even if only brief. Get outside, get some fresh air, breathe deeply.
• 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!).
• 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 or spend time alone, go running or put your feet up – make sure you know what you need.
• 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 those that are always “on” but those who can really focus while at work and equally really 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 technical tools at our disposal, constantly vying for our attention – but it can be done. Just focus at what you are doing in the moment; if you’re having a conversation with someone, don’t check your emails at the same time. 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 therefore 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.
About the authors
Mandy Flint & Elisabet Vinberg Hearn, award-winning authors of ”The Team Formula”.
Their new book ”Leading Teams – 10 Challenges: 10 Solutions” is out now, published by Financial Times International.
Praise for ”Leading Teams: ”This book is a 21st-century guide on how to build a world-class team. I highly recommend it” Steve Siebold, Founder, Mental Toughness University, Florida USA.