InsureMe Agent Blog: Tips for Coping with the Back to Work Blues

34559436.thb.jpg You’re sluggish, uninspired and filled with a sense of loss.

You’re back at work after a holiday.

They call it the back to work blues, and if you’re not experiencing them right now, you’re in the lucky minority.

In theory, a long weekend is supposed to energize you. Ruddy from the spring sun, you’re supposed return a cheery go-getter, not a sullen no-hoper.

In reality, going back to work can be a drag, even if you love your job. It’s particularly hard if you had a great weekend fishing with the kids, catching a baseball game or ‘laxing in the sun. Back at work, the holiday weekend can seem like a cruel aberration—a time of fun and gaiety that’s in stark contrast to your office life.

But you can’t sit at your desk and lament bygone holidays.

So how do you get reinvigorated? How do you beat the holiday hangover?

Here are some tips:

Limit your caffeine intake.
If you’re a slow starter, you impulse may be to compensate by upping your caffeine consumption. Problem is, the caffeine-anxiety link is well documented. If you feel overwhelmed with the mountain of work in front of you, caffeine will make that mountain appear to be even larger.

Make a list.
One of the worst things about re-entry is feeling overwhelmed. Making a to-do list will help keep things in perspective and provide you with a plan of action—something to lean on. The key, though, is to set reasonable expectations and maintain a detailed and smart to-do list.

Decide whether you’re a dipper or a diver.
According to the employment coaches at the Thank goodness It’s Monday (TGIM) blog, you should ask yourself if you’re the type who jumps into things or eases into them. If you’re a dipper, you shouldn’t try to be a diver, and vice versa. You want to set yourself up for success on your first day back.

Most of us are dippers, meaning we prefer to slowly re-engage; don’t feel bad about it. Relish it. You’ll reach warp speed soon enough. :)