Blog

The end of summer is quickly approaching. While technically the last official day of summer is September 22, most people see Labor Day as a sign that it’s time to go back to school and back to business. If you went on vacation over the summer (even if it was a “working vacation”), it may seem even harder to get back into “work mode.” As The Voice of Small Business™, FreedomVoice totally understands. So here are six tips for going back to work after your summer vacation.

1. Form Some New Healthy Habits

Before you even get back to the office, think of preparing yourself by picking up some new, healthy habits. Fall is the perfect time to form good habits that you can carry out through the rest of the year (you still have four months!). Some examples of new healthy habits to get you in more of a “business” state of mind include:

• Waking up earlier/Getting into the office earlier
• Starting a new exercise regimen
• Finding a new creative outlet (journaling, drawing, making music)
• Quitting caffeine
• Drinking more water
• Reducing negativity in your life (cutting down on complaints/negative thinking)

2. Remove Unnecessary Distractions

Getting work done is hard enough as it is without all the distractions from your fun vacation. Between sorting through vacation pics on your phone to regaling all the details of your trip on Facebook, you could find that it’s already 5:00 and no work has gotten done. To make returning to work go as smoothly as possible, get serious about removing these distractions. Temporarily turn off your cell phone and sign out of any social media accounts. Now you can catch up on things as quickly and efficiently as possible, without being distracted every two minutes.

3. Get Organized

You’ll probably be welcomed back to the office by tons of unopened emails, a plethora of files and unopened mail, as well as other office items sitting on your desk. The longer you wait to address these things, the more likely they will rear their ugly heads later in the week. So take a few minutes just to organize everything. Emails can quickly be sorted into different folders to be addressed by priority, and junk mail can be thrown out immediately. Try to avoid listening to endless voicemails and manage your messages online (FreedomVoice virtual phone systems can help you do just that!). Don’t get overwhelmed, just make a concentrated effort to prioritize your work. Think about what projects you were working on before you left the office and the five most important tasks you need to accomplish on your first day back. The rest can wait for later on in the week.

4. Join a Club or Team

A great way to connect with your co-workers and build stronger bonds at the office is to start a company club or team. It could be a softball team, a bowling league, or a supper club. You'll make new friends and you’ll build up confidence amongst your co-workers. It will also give you that extra little nudge to get you going to work in the morning.

5. Learn Something

It’s back to school time, so what better time to expand your knowledge? Taking an online course, attending a conference, or even setting up some e-learning within your company can help improve your understanding of cutting-edge topics and help improve your business. By learning something new you might discover a way of doing things that improves efficiency or find a new technique that boosts your income.

6. Treat Yourself!

Even though you’re back at work it doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy yourself. Treat yourself to your favorite beverage at the local coffee shop before going in to work, or download some new music or a podcast to liven up your commute. Try scheduling a lunch date or two with friends to make the first week back a little less stressful and give yourself something to look forward to. Last but not least, you can start planning your next vacation! Studies show that the effect of vacation anticipation can potentially boost happiness for up to 8 weeks – so go ahead and start planning your holiday vacation now!

Getting back into “work mode” after summer vacation is a transition. It may take a few days for you to get your head back into the game, but that’s perfectly fine. There are still four months left in the year to thrive and succeed at your business. Just follow these six tips and you’ll be “in it to win it” sooner rather than later.