Back to school, back to work top tips
It’s that time of year again, we get a taste of it after each half term holiday but it’s always exaggerated after the summer holidays. It’s back to school and back to work, but after a summer of chilling with the family; maybe a beach holiday or family days out, returning to work can be difficult. But fear not! Here’s some tips you may not have thought of to help you get back into the routine and help you beat those post-holiday blues.
- Take Monday’s off
You may think this is ridiculous, I did at first but I have to tell you it’s marvellous. Tell yourself on Sunday that from now on, you’re taking Monday’s off, and as you work for yourself, that’s actually ok to do. You probably work too many hours as it is so treat yourself to a week day off.
The clever part is that the chances are you’ll find you don’t actually take the day off – in this case, treat anything you do get through as a bonus, mentally this will give you a boost. Go on, try it! Switch the Monday to any day if it suits you.
- It’s ok that you don’t switch off
You may have been on holiday but if you’re anything like me, you’ve never really switched off, and that’s ok. In the past I’ve been cross with myself for not switching off during the holidays but I’ve now learnt to embrace it and give myself time in the mornings to check emails to keep on track. Any business owner will find it virtually impossible to do, you mustn’t allow it to detract from your holiday but don’t beat yourself up about it either just install a mini routine into your holidays. And make notes so you don’t forget anything!
However now is the time to start thinking about those plans or ideas you’ve had during the holidays. So take a few days to get back into it gently – take a few days to plan your strategy for the coming months…
- Back to work planning mode
Now is the time to remind yourself of your original goals, where is your business heading? In the last 12 months have you made any mistakes you want to avoid in the next 12 months? What lessons have you learnt? We can often lose sight of our goals, and indeed they can change so use now to re-evaluate your future – what you want and what steps you need to achieve that.
- Re-establish or find a new routine
Really with the kids being back at school we’re thrown right into the deep end of the early mornings once again, but you don’t have to jump straight back into work. Whilst in your back to work planning mode, try to resume your usual diet and fitness routines as soon as you can to help get you back into your normal habits. If you don’t already have a fitness routine, use this time to start one. Going for a jog or taking a walk is great for clearing your mind and relieving stress. It’s well worth the investment of your time.
- Work smart not hard
Don´t allow your inbox to overwhelm you. Get through the spam and rubbish, then prioritise everything, to be completed over the next 2 weeks. Make sure you finish each task before moving on to the next, otherwise you’ll end up with a pile of unfinished jobs and stress levels through the roof. The emotional boost of completing a task is incredibly important. Let yourself mentally move on to the next. You cannot do it all at once – you must accept that. Can you delegate? If you have help available, use it to lessen your workload.
- Shake it up a bit
Depending on your goals and strategy, could this be a time to start a new project or promise to yourself? Sometimes we can fall out of love with our business but finding something fresh and new can break that monotony and revitalise your passion, even if it’s just a new short, or long term goal – just shake it up!
- The best tip!!!
Going back to work doesn’t necessarily mean your holidays are a dim and distant memory. You’ve probably already put your photos on facebook to share with friends and family, but what you could do it use the special offers found on the likes of jesspos and boots to grab free prints (you just pay P&P), then you will get your favoutie photos delivered to your door. Then grab a cuppa and flick through them, then when the kids come home from school you can do it all again!
Then go and book another holiday, and give yourself something to look forward too. That’s one of my key to life secrets 😉
