Signing Off Techniques Before Leaving For Holiday To Avoid Return-To-Work Dread

When it comes to the holiday season, the average worker is especially excited to have some time away from the office. But if they don’t properly prepare themselves, they could end up with back to work scaries when the holiday ends. 

Many of us have experienced similar situations of leaving the office for the holiday and suddenly dreading our return afterwards. The plain truth is that we hardly ever take note of signing off techniques to implement before, during, and after our vacation. 

In this article, we look at how to sign off from work so you can get over the anxiety that comes with returning to the office after a holiday season. 

Why do people experience return-to-work dread? 

It’s a common question that readily has an answer. Why does it seem scary to return to your job after you have had a good vacation? Well, for obvious reasons. One major reason is lack of planning. When you don’t plan, you’re likely to have so many worries that they can continue even during your vacation away from the office. People tend to leave the office out of so much excitement without planning ahead. 

Another major reason for return to work dread after the holiday season is feeling overwhelmed by what’s to come. For some people, they are rather scared of the tasks they could possibly meet after such a relaxing season, which is very understandable. Having such a feeling causes stress even before they return to their offices. 

There’s also the fear of missed opportunities regarding a project. Employees will dread returning to the office because they feel they have missed a lot or must have caused problems with their absence from work. We definitely won’t leave you with these reasons alone, and that’s why we will discuss signing off techniques to help you make informed decisions. 

How to Sign Off from Work

1. Set Up A Plan. The first thing to do when you are aware that you’ll be taking some time away from the office is to organize a plan. Planning helps in almost every situation, if not all. You can never go wrong when you set up a plan to help you stay ahead of the future. While plans can possibly change due to unforeseen reasons, it’s still wise to organize some. When you decide to take a break from the office, it might seem reasonable to just pack your bags and disappear. But on the contrary, it’s not. You’ll need to plan ahead, prioritize what tasks really matter, and get it all sorted out. If you know of any projects that need urgent attention, it’s best to get them done before you leave for the holiday season. This will help you avoid getting stressed when you return from your vacation due to the rush of urgency. 
2. Have Days for Resting (Buffer Days). Another rule of thumb to abide by when it comes to signing off techniques is setting aside a day or two to rest before you return to the office after your vacation. Buffer days help you relax a bit before your body gets into work mode. It’s a great way to relax and calm your nerves before getting back to the office. You can decide to pick a day or two depending on how many days you have left to get back to work. On these days, you can rest, spend time with family, read a book, enjoy your favorite meal or movie, shop for necessities, and so on. However, whatever you decide to do should be outside of your work duties and responsibilities. Stay focused on relaxing and getting back your energy. 
3. Be Partially Present. We know some people often advise that you completely disappear from anything work-related when you are away on vacation. While it’s good advice, it can make things uneasy for you when you return from your vacation. What do we mean by this? Simple, it’s best to be partially present from time to time. You won’t have to miss anything important if you do things this way, and you won’t have to be scared to return to the office either. We suggest that you inform your colleagues that you will be away from the office but also take some time to scan through your email or work chat room to see if there’s anything important. If there are none, simply continue with your vacation. 
4. Organize Yourself. Another thing many people fail to do when they are on vacation and return from it is to properly organize themselves. Before you get back to work, it’s best to sit down and organize all that you need for the next working day. This could include documents you have been asked to provide, tasks to complete, clothes for work, and other necessary things. It would be nice to add new things to your office space too, so get them all before you return to work. 
5. Jog Your Memory. Another technique on how to sign off from work and return without fear is to properly prepare your mind. Here you’ll need to go through the plan you set in motion before you left the office. Think of what you have to do by the time you return to work. What projects await you, and how did you plan to accomplish them initially? Is there any meeting to be held once you return to the office? Were you asked to finish up a task within a particular period? Think about all these and follow through with what you have planned out earlier. 
6. Reconnect. Another good thing to do to get over the return to office dread is to sort out ways to reconnect with your colleagues, especially if you have been away from the office for a very long time. You can decide to host some of them for lunch or dinner at your favorite restaurant and use that time to discuss how your vacation went. You can as well do this over small talk with your colleagues while at the office. 
7. Practice Mindfulness. Being mindful at work takes a lot of effort, and it is especially important when you return to your office after the holiday break. You’ll need to take things one step at a time to avoid stress and eventually burnout. Practice taking deep breaths throughout the day and remind yourself to take breaks too. It will be a great idea to have something that reminds you of your vacation while at work. This will help you to lower your stress levels and positively affect your productivity during the workday. 

Conclusion 

The holiday season is a great time to relax, reflect, and spend quality time with the people you love. However, it becomes a thing of fear when employees are expected to return to work. To help with this situation, we have highlighted a few key sign-off techniques that can be implemented to make returning to work after a vacation less dreadful. 

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