Working Through Those Post-Vacation Blues

Every vacation comes to an end, and it always seems to come too soon – and unless you love your job to pieces, going back to work may not be easy. In fact, analysts say, going back to a job after a week or two of indulgent little splurges makes some people downright depressed.

Work/life balance experts suggest four tips for making the transition a little easier:

Do what you can at work before you leave – Finish up work projects as completely as possible before you leave for vacation, so you won’t stress out about what you’re coming home to – and let people know when you’ll be back at work, so you don’t find fires waiting to be put out the moment you hit your desk.

Prep your home for your return - Don’t leave beds unmade, dishes in the sink, or unpaid bills on your desk when you head out on vacation. The less chaos you leave behind, the more relaxed you will be on re-entry.

Plan a downtime – If possible, plan to come home from vacation a day or two before you are due back at work. Let yourself sleep in a bit, unpack at your leisure, order in some take-out and relax at home with a favorite movie or the book you didn’t get a chance to finish when you fell asleep on the beach. In any case, you’ll be glad you gave yourself the time to ease gradually back into reality.

Psych yourself out – Take some time on the flight or drive back home to think about what comes next. In fact, make a list of what will need to be done during your first few days back home; a trip to the store to stock the fridge…a start on paying next month’s bills. Planning ahead and working from a list is far less stressful than feeling zinged by the need to do a bunch of things at once.