The adaptation process in full swing
Adaptation after a long break is unavoidable. Going from zero to a hundred works for cars. Not for people. Yesterday, you started your day with a long coffee ritual surrounded by your family, and today you had to make an important decision at the first possible meeting.
- Give yourself time to acclimatize. You don't have to clear your email inbox right away. Sort your mail into important and less important, which can wait a few more days.
- Take a look at the projects you will be working on in the coming weeks. And what awaits you in them. Because while your December mind knew what was going on in the projects, your January mind has a hard time remembering what steps are necessary.
- Make a to-do list and plan the phases according to your current mental capacity. Don't rush into difficult tasks just because it's January and they have to be done.
If you want to improve in some area and perhaps take your work habits to another level, time management courses can help. For many of us, the beginning of the year is a natural time to change or improve our habits.
The team as an anchor
We often look forward to our colleagues more than the work itself. Although socializing may not be easy for everyone, feeling accepted by the team is important to most of us.
- At first, you may feel like you've missed something, that you're out of the loop with internal jokes, or that you don't have the same information as others. Maybe the team worked during the holidays or started work earlier. There's no reason to panic. This is a natural part of the adaptation process that most of us go through when we return to work. Things will gradually fall into place.
- Take an interest. Stay in touch with your colleagues as much as possible. Ask them how they are, what they have been reading, where they spent their days off. These are simple questions that help re-establish contact. Even small conversations are very important when returning to work.
- Go out for lunch together. The feeling of returning to old, familiar rituals can help. Think of lunch or after-work drinks as an opportunity to pick up where you left off at the Christmas party.
Don't treat reintegration into the team as another extra task. If you have above-average relationships with your colleagues, how about doing an escape room together or going to the cinema or theater together?
Don't confuse laziness with the adaptation process
It's natural that you don't feel like it. Being used to turning off the alarm clock, more relaxed activities, and not rushing between duties are sufficient reasons why we are slower to jump back into the work cycle. And with a little resistance.
- What you're feeling is okay, and you don't need to suppress it. Just think about it and tell yourself that it's a relevant feeling and that you need to adjust it over time so that you don't get even more frustrated.
- Your body gradually, not overnight, gets used to the new situation. It resets its work rhythm. What may appear to be procrastination is often just a way for your body and mind to get used to the old-new situation again.
If physical activity helps you adapt better to the old-new situation, don't overdo it, start slowly and gradually increase the intensity. What is easy for one person may be a sporting achievement for another, so choose according to the type of sport you like.
Returning to work after a long break doesn't have to be painful. However, it's good to admit that not all processes and habits will come back automatically. And no, you're not alone in this. Perhaps the question, "How are you doing returning to work after such a long time?" will be a stepping stone to a conversation with a colleague you haven't seen in a long time.
Sign in to your account and explore our partners where you can make the most of your employee benefits.
