Thankfully for those who have been in the office for the most of summer, the holiday season is now coming to a final close. For those that are returning from a long break though, 30-40-degree heat and sea salt air, getting back into the swing of the working world can be very difficult. I get it because of course I’ve felt the same before, although my workload barely gave me time to dwell on it; in sales it’s a different story. In sales a holiday will hinder your pipeline, put you on the back-foot and on your return it’s time to dig deep so long as you want to keep selling. But for those not working in a commission-based environment and therefore those who are able to spend four weeks of their summer abroad, getting back into the swing of things can take time so here’s few tips to get you started. Recruiters & Sales professionals – don’t fret! I’ll have some tips prepared and ready for you too soon.
Put Some Time Aside For Your Inbox:
Sooner rather than later, your inbox is going to need tackling. In doing so you’ll be able to bring yourself up to speed of any internal requirements, clients and customer inquiries, scheduled meetings etc. so that you can prioritise your workload and get your head back into the working week. The time that you do put aside though should be strictly to manage your mailbox, do your best to avoid any distractions. It may be worth taking your laptop into a meeting room or popping your headphones on if you work in a loud environment, but once this task is done, you’ll be feeling a lot more in control.
Organise Your Desk:
Have you ever heard the saying ‘Clear space, clear mind’? If not, it’s a good thing you’re reading because this is something I stand by and work to every day. It’s also something that can be applied at home. Having a clear and organised work area allows you to think clearly, logically and minimises distraction. If you are up to your neck in paperwork, you’re going to feel like it too – you’ll work late but not smartly, you’ll be flustered, not focused and many of your tasks will be half completed because you keep flickering between the lot of them.
Catch Up With Colleagues:
Find out what you missed! Catching up on what’s happened whilst you were away will help you bed yourself back in more comfortably and bring you up to speed. It’ll be pretty embarrassing catching up with a client or customer to advise them around the next step in the process when your colleague has already done it for you! Bring yourself up to date on both internal and external news and it will be a great opportunity to tell your teammates all about the best bits of your trip, too.
Be Kind To Yourself:
Ease yourself back in; pushing yourself too hard on your return to the office with overtime or stressing about unreasonable time frames will work against you. It’s important you throw yourself back in but manage your co-workers and your client’s expectations, enjoy your lunch break and slowly get your body used to the working week again.
Do What Makes You Smile:
Do something good for yourself, in the same way you should when ‘Tackling Monday’s’; buy yourself a coffee, meet a friend for lunch, call your favourite client to tell them about the dolphins you swam with or the coconut you picked yourself. Make some plans for upcoming weekends, organise the next work do, and give yourself a pat on the back as you switch out of holiday mode into work mode with your diary filling back up. Before you know it, it will be time to book another holiday!
