Besides the Easter holidays, the Heroes and Defence forces Day Holiday awarded Zimbabweans with a long weekend to wind down and celebrate. Vacations and long weekends are amazing until you have to bounce back to business and catch up with the workflow. As much as entrepreneurship is fulfilling, going back to work after a break can be unpleasant. This is why we bring together a few tips that can help you bounce back to business smoothly.
Keep the work thoughts away
Chu-Hsiang Chang, a Michigan State University associate professor who specializes in industrial and organizational psychology, suggested that the best way to bounce back at work from a long break is to not think about work while you’re on holiday. As an entrepreneur, you may be compelled to think about work and how you can fix things but if you have decided to take a break you might as well go all out. Taking a break should not just be physical but mentally and emotionally too, giving yourself enough time to relax and detox before going back to work re-energized.
Prepare pre-vacation
The importance of planning cannot be overemphasized. Knowing that a holiday or long weekend is coming up and you want to take a vacation, It would help to plan your work including what you will have to work on before and what you will do after the vacation. Setting automated email responses to let your clients know that you are away is also important as it let’s them know you won’t be looking at your emails. If you have pending work, you might want to communicate with clients on your timelines so that you are on the same page. These can help to ease your transition back to work after vacation as it helps you set your priorities straight for before and after the long weekend or vacation.
Getting re-attached to work
Preparing your mind and getting back to work mode is as important as detaching before the vacation. This means slowly catching up with where you left off and coming up with plans for meeting your targets towards the overall goal. You could have a to-do-list laid out with provision for contingencies. It may not be healthy to get into the most challenging tasks soon after a long weekend as your energy level may not have reached the peak yet. Prioritising tasks is also important when setting timelines. In an interview with the business insider, Michael Kerr, an international business speaker said, “Take the time to connect with one or two clients to let them know they’re top of mind with you and that you’re back if they need anything,”
Focus on work
It is as important to focus on work and keep you mind and emotions in check during work time as it is to clear your work thoughts from your mind during vacations and holidays. “You want to enjoy your time off, after all. It’s equally important to snap back into a work-oriented mindset when you return to the office.” Áine Cain. Once you master making the switch, you can avoid any unproductive dilly-dallying after a long weekend. This will in turn increase efficiency and productivity.
Take regular breaks
While you are focusing on work, make a point to take breaks regularly to avoid burning out. Breaks help you to process and retain information. This is essential to maintain a focused mode while you are at work. It also helps to review your work and see the bigger picture and how each step is taking you to your goal.
In conclusion, maintaining a positive work/life balance can be challenging. Recognising you specific challenges is the first step to addressing them and enjoying a fruitful balance. The above tips can help you transition smoothly from work to rest and back to work. Vacations and holidays are important to keep the work bearable.
