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Amélie Boukhobza (Clinical Psychologist)
Is it time for you to go back to work? If this idea saddens and stresses you, discover a psychologist’s advice to better accept this period.
After a great time on vacation, returning to the office can be quite brutal. It’s the end of long summer evenings, barbecues every lunchtime and afternoons spent reading in the sun. Instead, we find meetings, obligations, endless emails and all this with a good dose of stress. To help you get back to work calmly by managing your stress, psychologist Amélie Boukhobza shares her 8 tips.
Getting back into it little by little
The first step according to the psychologist? “Take the time to readjust slowly”. “The recovery must be done gently and there is no point in overloading yourself upon your return.” Instead, focus on organization to put in order what you need to do: sort your emails, make a schedule for the week, prioritize the files to be processed, etc. “This allows you to gently re-establish contact with your work environment without putting unnecessary pressure on yourself from the start.” explains the psychologist.
Keeping the holiday spirit at the office
The idea is to bring the spirit and energy of the holidays back to work. This means taking the time to share your holiday memories with your colleagues over coffee, for example. This kind of moment can greatly help you to get back to work smoothly. “We take advantage of this opportunity to exchange good tips and discover new ideas for the next vacation. We can also come dressed in our new outfit bought on vacation to prolong the summer atmosphere” advises the expert.
Sharing moments with colleagues
Speaking of reminiscing with your coworkers, taking the time to reconnect with them can go a long way. So, the expert advises: “discuss your respective holidays, share anecdotes, laugh together… This with the aim of bringing a positive and relaxed atmosphere to work”. This way, you will feel less alone in this recovery!
Planning the next vacation
To mourn the end of your vacation, what could be better than thinking about the next one? Amélie Boukhobza recommends “start planning your future vacation, even if it’s just a rough idea”. In fact, this allows “projecting yourself towards new adventures to give perspective to your daily life“Adding a date to your calendar creates a goal, which is good for your morale!
Maintain good habits
During your vacation, you probably adopted new, healthier habits: taking time for yourself, sleeping more, exercising more often, seeing your friends… In general, we adopt this routine because we have the time. However, by organizing your schedule properly, it is possible to maintain these good habits that you adopted during the summer. “Take the time to walk more each day, by going to work on foot or stopping one metro station before; listen to music that relaxes you or read a good book on transport or before going to sleep for example”. These moments are necessary to prevent everyday life from taking over and stressing you out even more.
Incorporate breaks and moments of disconnection
In the same vein of well-being, Amélie Boukhobza recalls that “Even in the office, you have the right and need to take breaks”It is therefore essential to integrate moments of disconnection throughout the day: a coffee, a short walk, a discussion with a colleague or a simple moment to breathe! “Taking regular breaks is very important to help you better manage your energy and not let yourself be dominated by stress” adds the expert.
Set new motivating goals
What’s better than new projects to get back on track? “Take advantage of this new school year to set goals that are important to you. Whether professional or personal, having goals to achieve gives you momentum and prevents you from sinking into monotony.” According to the psychologist, this return from vacation may be the right time to start a project that you have always wanted to undertake, or to sign up for a new activity for example!
Accepting the return blues: it’s normal!
And finally, the psychologist reminds us that it is normal to feel nostalgic and have a low mood when returning from vacation. “It’s a feeling we all know. On the other hand, the energy we gained during the holidays is much more important than the nostalgia we feel. When you’re feeling down, you just have to think back to the good times you had to pick yourself up.” Rested and more confident, you have what it takes to set new goals and make yourself proud, before your next vacation!
Slideshow: 12 tips to boost your return to school