For many Christmas provides a well-deserved break from office life and a chance to enjoy time with family and friends. Hopefully you had a chance to relax and are back to work ready for the challenges of the new year.

After time away from your everyday work schedule it can be particularly hard to get back into the flow of normality. By the second week of January calendars are usually full of events, meetings and deadlines and you need to be on top form and ready for them all.

Here are a few tips to help you with that post-holiday hangover:

1. Arrive at work with a positive attitude

Your co-workers will be in the same situation and if you all arrive in a bad mood the office will be very dreary. Bring some healthy snacks and allow yourself plenty of time to get to work – anything that can help lower your stress levels during the day. It’s useful to think back to the things you enjoyed most during your time off but bad to dwell on the fact you are back in the office.

2. Plan your routine around your most productive times

Don’t try to do too much on your first couple of days back. Review your calendar and plan your most important tasks around the times you are most productive.

Also read...

How to meet deadlines at work

6 Sep 2017

3. Set small goals that are easy to achieve – don’t jump in too fast

Big projects will be even more overwhelming when you first come back to the office. Either break them down into small bitesize tasks or schedule the bulkier projects for later in the week when you have fallen back into your regular routine.

4. Use it as a chance to start new habits

Coming back after extensive time off can be really useful for setting up new habits. Want to use your lunch break to go for a long walk? Think it would be beneficial to write your to-do list the day before? Going to spend more time speaking to your co-workers rather than sending emails? Now is the perfect time to give it a go and see if it works.

5. Make plans you enjoy outside of work

It’s easy to fall into the trap of stopping all socialising because you’re back at work and have lots to do. Prevent this by making plans outside of work over your first few weeks back. It’s also a great time to take up a new hobby.

Do you have any other tips? Share them below.