Going back to work after Xmas – tips on how to avoid stress and cope

Suddenly your alarm clock goes off and in the dark you fumble around for the off-switch. You haul yourself out of your nice warm bed…

It’s back to work. It’s a shock to the system after a fortnight of strolling around the house in your pyjamas til midday, of irregular sleep patterns, of over-eating and over-drinking. Your body-clock’s all over the place. And you head into work feeling sloth-like, finding it difficult to concentrate, and your memory’s shot to pieces.

You’re suffering from what’s been termed ‘social let lag’.  What can you do about it?

Well, you need to be prepared, both psychically and mentally. The day before your first day back, get everything prepared – your clothes, your bag, car/tickets. Get to bed early and don’t overeat or drink alcohol, as you need a good night’s sleep.

Questions to get in the right mindset & avoid stress

Most importantly, get your mindset prepared. Think:

  • What am I looking forward when I get into the office?
  • What image do I want to portray in my first work-week back of 2019? What will stand in the way of me achieving this?
  • What do I want to achieve in my first week back? What will stop me, and how do I overcome this?

And here’s two good tips…

  1. Seek out the work colleagues you find most supportive and avoid the moaners. Moaning will put you in a negative mindset.
  2. Be kind to yourself. Most of your colleagues will also be coming out of their hibernation and suffering from social let lag.

In all of our online courses and workshops, we help you develop the right mindset to meet the challenges of work.

For those of you who are really dreading going back to work, take a look at our stress management course. And for those of you struggling with a poor manager or boss, our ‘How to Deal with Your Nightmare Boss’ online course has loads of tips and advice.

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