5 Steps To Banish The Back To Work Blues

Despite entering a brand new year it is quite common for professionals to feel less than enthusiastic about returning to the office after the holiday season. The thought of your holiday tan gradually fading away while your email inbox piles up, can bring up feelings of stress and anxiety. Even if that work place is a dynamic public relations agency or a creative office in the digital design and communications industry, abandoning your out of office email and having to face a back log of requests can be daunting. Here are our 5 steps to banish the back to work blues and ushering in the New Year on a high note.

Step 1: Be Positive

Make the choice to adopt a positive attitude. Look for all the good things that can happen on your first day back instead of focusing on the things that you’ll dread. Perhaps you have a BMW (Best Mate at Work) that you’re looking forward to connecting with, or have developed a love for the coffee served at a nearby café. Small reminders of the good things that happen on a normal working day can help to lessen any negative feelings.

Step 2: Get organised

Preparation is key when going back to work. Organising your files and even your outfit the night before, will minimise time wastage in the morning and make the process of commuting and starting your day easier. Checking emails beforehand, will also help you make better decisions about where to place your efforts on your first day back.

Step 3: Make some goals

Even if you’re not the type of person to create New Year’s resolutions, creating work-based goals will give you motivation and make you excited for the future. Working towards something as opposed to mindlessly accomplishing your tasks, reminds you of the personal goals you had when you started and helps you build a momentum that will benefit your professional development.

Step 4: Don’t rush

Avoid falling into the trap of thinking you have to do everything at once on your first day back. If you feel like you have a million and one things to do, tackle the high priority tasks first and leave other tasks for another day. Trying to tackle everything will only overwhelm you and cause you to take all your stress home at the end of the day.

Step 5: Take care of yourself

Set a precedence on your first day for the rest of the year by making it a priority to take care of yourself. Separate your work and home life in order to create a balance between the two. Working hours are working hours for a reason. If you do have to take work home, designate a specific space to completing office related tasks and don’t let your place of rest remind you of work.

Curzon PR is a London-based PR firm working with clients globally. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Business Development Team bd@curzonpr.com