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September 2008
BACK AND RELAXED
That felt good! When the holiday weather is nice, body and spirit can fully re-energise. Back from a holiday means: Do not get trapped in the same old stress routines. Here are some tips for avoiding that.
Calmness means strength
Don’t let floods of e-mails, piles of work and pressuring co-workers ruin your return to your job. From the very start, take your time for a good start back to work. First, let everyone know that you are back, ask for a run-down on what has happened during your absence – and then calmly set up a time schedule for the tasks you need to complete. Not everything is equally important. Set priorities together with your colleagues and customers – and manage other people’s expectations. Solve simple problems immediately. Then together, set aside time for more complex tasks. This will give you enough breathing space to perform your tasks thoroughly and without unnecessary pressure.
A little bit of holiday in every day
Keep the memories of your holiday alive for a while and take a souvenir to work. The tasty coffee from Portugal will lift both your and your colleagues’ spirits and help you relax. Even a special pen, bought at your holiday destination, can motivate you at work every time you use it.
Good for body and soul
And when things do heat up, make sure that you alternate stress with phases of relaxation in a healthy way. This improves performance and health. Take a few moments for yourself, inhaling and exhaling deeply. This loosens up body and soul, thereby increasing your stress tolerance for the next time. By the way – there are some great meditation and yoga techniques that you can use at work. Relaxing your body during your lunch hour is also very good – for example walking, jogging or playing a game of boule or table tennis.
