You’ve spent more than a week away from home. If you’re not at a meeting, you’re having brunch with a new investor. You spend the nights entertaining your business partners and the mornings sleeping in. If you need to sleep late to dot the i’s and cross the t’s on that presentation, that’s no problem because you’ll be spending the next day on the beach like a true tourist. Yes, you’re on a workcation, and the workcation blues are a real thing!
Just like getting back from a leisurely holiday can be tough, so can coming home from a workcation. It’s a business trip mixed with down-time which can easily give you the illusion that you’re doing more holidaying than working. Until you get back home to routine and deadlines and you’re hit with a serious case of travel blues. If you’ve suffered from this, or want to prevent it in future, these tips make sure you beat the blues!
PLAN YOUR FIRST WEEK BACK
When planning your trip, plan for an extra day just to recoup. You may think because your business trip was interspersed with play time you’ve had your fair share of rest. However, you may need to fully recover from being away and plan how to get in the swing of things again. Take this day off to get back into habits like eating healthy, going to the gym and sleeping at a regular time. Write a to-do-list of the tasks you have to complete in your first week back and prepare to ease into regular programming.
BE SYSTEMATIC
Although it can be tempting to jump right back in to emails, calls and meetings the day you’re officially back at work, it’s not a good idea. Prioritize the things that need your attention first and tackle them first. Pick a small task and focus your energy on it for the first day. This is not only being realistic, but you’ll also feel accomplished by ticking something off your to-do-list on day one. Sort emails, messages and meetings according to their urgency and importance, to help you decipher which activity you need to prioritize first.
NOSTALGIA IS GOOD
Reminiscing about your trip is also not a bad idea. Think about the plans you made for the business while you were away and start putting a plan of action of together. In this way you will feel optimistic about being back and view it as an opportunity to make things happen. Follow leads you made while networking on your trip, or do some research on what it takes to get the big dreams and ideas you had off the ground. If you tried a new activity or habit on your workcation, try fitting it into your routine and then it will feel like you’ve taken your holiday with you.
Coming home from a workcation should make you feel refreshed rather than depressed. Hopefully these 3 tips will help you get back into the work zone, without making you lose that holiday glow. After all, the greatest ideas and inspirations come from making time for both work and play. If all else fails, why not be tourist in your own city? This way your workcation never has to end!