Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose… or if you’re in Australia, sausages cooking on the barbeque, a cold drink in your hand, as the sun turns your nose and cheeks red and then tan. The crunch of sand beneath your feet, and the laughter of children in the waves. Sitting back and relaxing with family, as you watch the fireworks ring in the New Year, and then suddenly its back to reality.
Those days off seem like a gift at first, but before you know it your alarm is ringing and you’re trudging to the car, train or bus, coffee gripped in your hand and the daily grind begins again. Sometimes maximising post-holiday productivity can be hard, with employees left lethargic and nostalgic for the days of rest, however, if you take certain steps you can kick start the year positively and energetically, rather than waiting until the end of January to finally fall back into effective methods.
Get a Decent Amount of Sleep
The holiday period may have thrown off your internal clock, with later nights and longer sleep ins. Prepare for work by trying to readjust your sleeping patterns in the days before you are due to return. Go to bed earlier, so that by the time your alarm goes off in the morning you are well rested and ready to face the day.
Be Organised
Make sure that everything is ready to go in the morning. If you find everything you need the next day before you go to sleep and have it set out ready to go, your morning will start off less stressful and you’ll be in a better frame of mind to start the work week.
Be Honest and Accepting
Acknowledge that the holiday is over and that its time to answer the plethora of emails in your inbox. Simply being in the right frame of mind, ready to work and prepared for what awaits, can make the transition back into the workplace after the holidays easier. If you focus on the past few days, nostalgically thinking about how at this time last week you were relaxing by the pool, you’re likely to be distracted and not as productive.
Be Proactive
Out of all the months in the year, January does tend to be the quietest for a lot of businesses in Australia. Use this time to actively catch up on projects, to propose new ideas, and have a fresh outlook on the business and the job for the next year. Communicate with fellow staff and formulate a strategy to achieve the goals that will help to improve not only the business but the culture in the office. Also don’t be afraid to use this time to learn new skills, it’s much easier to invest time into learning during the quieter January period than it is later during the year when the work load increases.
Smile
Workplace culture is the most essential part of ensuring that post-holiday blues don’t drag your productivity down. When you and your fellow employees look forward to coming into the office, it makes the day much better for everyone. Make sure you remain positive, and bring everyone up with you, don’t let yours or their negativity drag anyone down.
