Welcome back, everyone! We hope you’ve had a great last 2 weeks since our brief hiatus – I spent the last week and a half or so traveling Switzerland with family and am back feeling as refreshed as ever. However, with 7 days of PTO undoubtedly comes dozens of emails, missed meetings, coming deadlines, and more. So, how do you (and how should I?!) catch up after a duration of PTO? Find out everything you need to know below…

Catching up After PTO

• Hydrate: One of the best ways to stay awake and help your body get back into the swing of a healthy week is to keep yourself hydrated. Keep a water bottle by your desk and try to drink the entire thing multiple times throughout the day; and if you’re worried about forgetting, set reminders on your calendar or mobile phone to do so! There are also a variety of water bottles available everywhere that track time stamps on the side to remind you to keep up through the day.
  • Extra Tip: In order to encourage yourself, try forcing yourself to finish a glass of water prior to a morning juice, matcha, or caffeine! That way, your drink of choice will serve as a reward instead of as a starting point for your day.
• Nutrients! As enticing as it may feel to snack on chips, morning sweets, or any junk food, try to jump-start your week with nutrients instead. Starting off the week with healthy meals will rejuvenate your body and ensure that you are feeling energized and prepared for all obligations. On the same note, we also offer you the tip to bring workout clothes to work, as it may be your key to stepping back into the gym (and will also save the time of having to stop back home).
• Stay Organized: Making a to-do list, filling out a daily planner or calendar, or even using a sticky note and writing down what you need to complete is proven to help individuals accomplish their daily tasks and goals. This will also keep you organized and decrease your chance of forgetting a meeting or assignment. Make sure to check out the multiple articles we’ve written in the past to learn about certain scheduling strategies that could assist your organization… we recommend starting with ‘time-blocking’!
• Check-In: With your inbox! Try out a “priority” folder to move all of your most important emails from the weekend into a different space, as we all know how crowded an inbox may be when we take a momentary break. And make sure to keep your team in the know about where your projects or outstanding requests are on their way to completion – while you’re not expected to finish all of your obligations momentarily, you are expected to inform those that rely on your work when they can expect it!
• Let Yourself Breathe: Finally,… schedule breaks into your day as you would any other obligation! Letting yourself have time to relax is equally as important as completing your work to your mental clarity and ability to maintain motivation.