This blog post has a personal touch since I’m actually writing this as a personal reminder! So, hi there! I’m Mafalda and I’m usually the ghost writer behind the majority of our blog posts! Curiously, I’m also going on vacation, which means being away from the office and my email inbox, recharge batteries and simply exist under the sun on a beach somewhere.

Still, my last week of work before going on vacations is always incredibly nerve wrecking as I’m stopping all on going tasks and projects for at least two weeks to get back to them with a completely messed up sleep schedule, a il dolce far niente routine and hopefully, a cute tan.

These are some of my personal tips to make that Vacation-Work transition smoother and trust me, I’ll follow them religiously (or at least, I hope so!):

1. Prepare beforehand and don’t forget to set up an out-of-the-office email

This sounds obvious but if you want to avoid repeated emails from the same person or anyone that works outside your organisation or is not informed you went on vacation, make the most of your email service and leave an automatic reply ready to shoot with alternate contacts, personal or from a colleague that can take over urgent matters.

2. Tidy up your space before and after

Avoid getting immediately overwhelmed upon your return! I always get super fussy when I have a lot of things out of place – although my desk might be chaotic at most times, there’s method and organisation in my own personal chaos and I like to keep it that way!
What’s usually even worse than a desk? Your desktop and download folder. Yes, take a good look at it. And don’t forget to close all of those browser tabs that you left open. The same goes for the shocking amount of emails you leave to open, well aware that some of them will never see the light of the day since they’re spam.
Once you’re back, make sure all is pristine and take a few minutes to sort out everything on your desk – time to grab those post-its and maybe a new notebook? A brand new notebook always makes me happy!

3. Give yourself time to settle in

Personally, everything feels urgent to me, which means that when I’m back from vacation, I get anxious about opening my email inbox, to the point where I check it once in a while when I’m on vacation just to mentally prepare for what’s waiting for me upon my return. Since this is all about do as I say and not as I do, I humbly recommend that you take your time to go through your emails, define what’s more urgent and not, and then, work through your task list. I use Trello but truth be told, my biggest sidekick really is my trustworthy notebook (yep, mentioning this little guy again!). I usually take notes of everything I need to check once I’m back and then review it again on my first day back to work. Color coding systems also work really well for me as I rely a lot on visual aids to clear and organize my ideas. If this is not suitable for you, I’d suggest you check some hacks online until you find something that matches your needs.

4. Take it slow

This also covers what’s happening outside of work. There’s no need for you to immediately jump into your usual routine. Of course, this is not always an option, especially if you have kids. Since I’m only responsible for my mischievous cat and fluffy bunny, I can allow myself to slowly get back into my usual weekly routine. That means that even my exercise routine won’t be too challenging or dramatic and that I won’t be deep cleaning my closet once I’m back from traveling. I usually joke about taking a vacation from the vacation, but travelling is tiresome and so are days full of activities. So allow yourself to also settle in at home. At the office, catch up with everyone – it’s not only about checking the memes you missed for the last 10 days on Slack, you can actually understand what’s happening in a couple of projects and departments just by friendly following up with your colleagues.

5. Careful with that calendar

I don’t always have this opportunity but if I’m able to, I don’t schedule meetings for my first day of work after 15 days of sunbathing. Having my morning schedule clear eases the pressure on my shoulders and allows me to avoid additional tasks that start creeping in. Really fight the urge to tackle it all!

I hope this tips help you let normality back in gently and don’t forget that a healthy work-life balance is key to make you feel fulfilled and of course, no shame if you feel like this transition is a little tough!

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