Beating the back to work blues

Summer’s nearly over and the chances are you’ve got a dose of the back-to-work blues. You’re going to have to say goodbye to days spent in the fresh air, long lazy suppers with copious glasses of wine, and the freedom to take as much time as you like doing precisely nothing. It’s a bit of a wrench, isn’t it?

We’ve put together some hints and tips to help you get over the hurdle of returning to work. With any luck, you’ll soon be back into the rhythm of ordinary life and you can start planning your next holiday to look forward to!

Hints and tips to beat the back to work blues

• Can you work out exactly what it is about going back to work that makes you feel blue? If you can pinpoint the problem, you may be able to take steps to improve matters. If you hate the routine, for example, is there a way of mixing things up a little and doing things in a different way? In a similar vein, consider the things you love about your job, then ask your manager or boss if you can do more of them. If your boss is interested in the success of the company, and cares about you, they may well agree. If there is no room in your organisation for creative thinking and flexibility, you may want to consider moving on if you can.
• Get organised. The chances are you’re not going to get much work done on your first day back anyway, so spend some time clearing your workspace. If you’re able, transform it completely. Declutter, clean, scrap, organise! New start, new you! You’ll find it empowering, and if you buy yourself some new stationery or resources, you’ll actually look forward to getting back into it.
• Make a to-do list of all the things you would like to achieve this morning, today, this week, this month and before Christmas. Set targets and put everything in your diary.
• Visualise your ideal work-life balance and take steps to get it there. Prioritise your state of wellbeing because when you are happy and calm, you are more productive at work and more loving at home. Make achieving a good work-life balance a priority.
• Stop comparing yourself to others. A certain measure of ambition is a good thing of course, and you may well want to run your company, buy a second home in the tropics, and drive a jaguar. If that’s the case, go-for-it. The thing is, most of us will settle for a lot less as long as we have less stress and the time to enjoy life. What do you want to do well? What do you already excel at? What would you like to be better at? If you can identify these areas, work at those, to the exclusion of what everyone else is doing.
• Work less. A good work-life balance means being present in the lives of those closest to you, not just your colleagues or boss. Work smarter while you’re at work, do not opt for longer hours. Find clever solutions to problems, and stop trying to be a superhero at work. Your boss may well not notice, and most people aren’t rewarded for it unless they’re very fortunate.
• Deal with all situations as they arise. Don’t put things off. Think of a solution. Act on it. Move on. You can always come back to something later and fix it – or improve it - if need be.
• Millions of emails? Scan them. Locate the delete key. Go for it.
• Keep your ‘Out of Office’ on. That way people won’t chase you, allowing you time to get back into the rhythm of work, and catch up on what needs doing.
• Really dislike your job? Start making a plan to move on. If you need new skills, the Autumn is often a good time to find a course and upgrade your skills. Not sure where to go next? Look back at your career and consider when you were happiest and felt most energised. What was it you particularly liked about that job? Was it the skills you were using? The environment? Your colleagues? Where can you go that would fit those feelings? Do some research and make a plan.
• Find your motivation. You need reasons to work and be successful. If your heart is not in what you’re doing, time will drag and you’ll be miserable and your boss will notice. In a harsh world, your motivation may simply be that you need the money, but even if that’s the case, you need to put your heart and soul into what you’re doing and achieve, or move on.
• Take an extra day off. As daft as it sounds, taking an extra day off after your holiday may be the answer to your back-to-work blues. You’ll have a four-day week which will make it eminently more bearable, and everyone else will hopefully have settled straight back into work life, meaning there will be less stress and angst in the office, and you’ll find it easier to adapt.
• Keep a gratitude diary or jar. Write down two or three things a day that you are grateful for, either in your diary, or on little slips of paper and store them in a jar. It’s a simple way to count your blessings and focus on what is good in your life.
• Spend your lunch hour booking your next holiday. Well, you need to have something to look forward to!

Other articles

Find out if you're suffering from imposter syndrome

Do you sometimes feel your achievements are not the result of your hard work and skill but are just luck? And do you fear that one day, someone will reveal you as an imposter or fraud? You might have imposter syndrome!

What can you do if your kid doesn't want to go back to school?

What can you do if your kid doesn't want to go back to school? Here are our hints and tips to help if your child is expressing a refusal to go to school.

Six things we think will make us happy, but don't!

When you think about things that will make you happy, what are the images that come to mind? Wealth, beauty, a dream house, long holidays, a top of the range car? Happiness is not a constant and how happy we feel depends on the way we choose to live our lives. 

Do you expect too much from others?

Do you expect more from others than they are prepared to give? Signs that you may be asking too much - and how to break the pattern.

"Bach Flower Advice" becomes "Mariepure"

After 25 years in the Bach flower world, we asked ourselves, is now the right time for our own new name? Not only have we grown, but so have you, along with the confidence you have in us. That's why we want to connect ourselves to our own name. That name is Mariepure.

Feeling blue?

Feeling blue? You're not alone! We all feel sad at times; it's a normal human emotion. Sometimes, it's clear to see what has triggered our depression. Common reasons for feeling sad include bereavement, the end of a relationship, losing your job or money problems. But it's not always so clearcut.

Stop procrastinating right now and do something!

Read some tips to get the challenge you're thinking about out of the way. Now is the time to do something, you can start right now. Read on to know more!

Subtle signs your child is unhappy

According to figures from the World Health Organisation, more than 260 million people worldwide suffer from depression. And it's not only adults who are diagnosed with this illness. Children as young as three or four years old can experience depression.

What to do when the spark is fading

Why do you feel butterflies at the start of a new romance, and how can you keep the flame burning in a long term relationship as the spark starts to fade?

Simple tips to not be afraid of the future

No one knows what the future holds, so don't waste time and energy worrying about it. Read our tips and find out how to stop being afraid of what might never happen.