I have been away from my blog for quite a while - mostly on holiday, but also doing important people activities – through yesterday.

It’s been a great break from the every day grind, but at least for me, returning to everyday job responsibilities can sometimes be difficult.

It is like resurfacing from a scuba dive. It takes time and careful planning.

I don’t have to teach from May-mid-September this year. That is a big break and I took advantage of it both by working with clients and by having longer breaks away from everything (this is very healthy, btw).

Returning to work from a longer break can be emotionally and even physically difficult, especially if you have really had a mental “break” from your every-day schedule for longer than two weeks. 

Returning to work after a longer break can also be from something work related, but not every-day such as being on a work training or retreat - besides holidays, family time or just R&R in the garden.

Resurfacing to the regular (most times faster) pace of work can feel like you are a deep-sea diver coming to the surface again, facing a foreign world from where you have recently been. 

This was the case for me this past week - I was far away, mentally, emotionally, and physically from all my work.  But then I came back to a few important deadlines and a whole lot of emails and little “to-dos” that were quite urgent.  I had to resurface fast.

Maybe you are in this place, too.

Here are some activities I try to do to make the re-adjustment back to every day work weeks smooth; maybe you can do them too!

Start on a Wednesday, or even a Thursday

This is what I did last week.

Make your first work-week lighter by only working a few days, or perhaps schedule something “fun” first, such as a training day, or a team building day where you have no choice but to ignore your email list. 

This time I only focused on the emails and today I am finally returning to my blog.

I will be gone again, physically, next week (board meetings and an online conference), so I think I will try and keep the emails at bay and finish my biggest to-dos this week. It could be that my blog changes to Tuesdays for this semester due to heavy Mondays, too.

School starts in two short weeks, when I look at next week, it is in reality only “one” week of work away.

Start slowly, with lowered expectations

This is key!

Do not plan a long first day or two, but slowly set and get into your list of “to-dos”; don’t expect to get finished with your list but try to focus on one or two key goals for the first few days. 

Remember to reacquaint yourself with your team, your work space, and even the food, too (for me that means eating twice a week at the school cafeteria), especially if you have been away for a long time or working (mostly) remotely. 

Here’s a great idea, especially since it is fall and maybe you need a wee bit of a change: Freshen up your workspace and make it “your own” once again.

Revisit your recent (good) memories

ENJOY! (PPFs©, are always great)

Maybe you want to review your photos and/or try and make that green curry you learned to make in Thai cooking class. 

Maybe you want to try that team building activity you learned in your week away.

Find something positive to remember from your recent past activities.

For me, it is a gorgeous view we are blessed with and family times this summer.

Have -or make- positive plans for the future, have something to look forward to (PPFs©)

Not only are we attending a ceildh in November, but we have a round anniversary coming up in December.  So, although my husband and I will be working, we have very positive activities to look forward to. 

Future plans (ones we really are looking forward to) help when work gets tough:  we can look ahead to the next enjoyable activities and that can break the work stress. 

These plans help make the days pass with positive thoughts.

Take care of yourself! That is key for a sustainable fall!

May your own resurfacing be successful, and the next good thing, whether holidays or time away from “the grind” of working intensively, be planned soon!

Patricia Jehle              patricia@jehle-coaching.com