If you are dreading going back to work after the holidays, you aren’t alone. Many come down with what might be best described as “a bad case of the Sunday Scaries.”

Except, the Sunday Scaries are not typically preceded by a couple weeks of uninhibited freedoms. Endless eating, drinking, shopping, movie-watching, reading, sleeping. What guiltless Christmas holiday pleasure have I missed?

How then, does one successfully get back into the work groove?

It may not be as tough as you imagine. The transition back can be pleasant even. But that will take preparations on your part. The question is: are you willing?

If the answer is yes, here are a few suggestions for overcoming the dread you may feel about going back to work and beating those post-holiday blues.

Tip #1 for Transitioning Back to Work: Prepare your body and detox

We pay a lot of attention to the topic of getting into the right mindset (rightly so), but before we go there, let’s whip the physical elements into shape.

Seasonal drinking and eating

For many, December is the time to make merry and enjoy the Christmas cocktails, chocolates, sweet treats. I certainly did, and it was glorious.

Well, folks, December is now past. Time to cut back on the holiday excesses!

Frequent boozing typically results in low energy levels and that’s the last thing you need as you restart work. I’m not saying commit to Dry January, but hey, it’s actually not a terrible idea…

Media detox

How about a detox from media – a television and/or social media detox?

To our collection of Christmas movies, the Netflix binging, the late night TV in general…it’s truly been amazing. But it’s time we bid you adieu.

To the requisite cute Christmas pyjamas photoshoots and the profound New Year’s declarations, you’ve gotten a ton of airtime and for that we’re so thankful to you.

Can you grudgingly agree that it’s time to focus on additional goals beyond finishing the latest season of The Crown? Who’s with me?

Move your body back into a routine, and set a healthy stage for your professional state of mind to rebound.

Tip #2 for Transitioning Back to Work: Prepare your focus and develop micro-goals

Have you set yourself a lofty professional goal as part of your New Year’s resolutions? If so, consider developing bite-sized goals to reach your big target.

Breaking up your goal into smaller steps will help it to be more measurable, and make it feel more attainable.

Tip #3 for Transitioning Back to Work: Use retrospect

Setting new goals are fantastic but, don’t neglect what’s already on the table.

Reflect on the past year of work successes and failures. With respect to the failures, consider whether there are elements that can either be eliminated, or improved upon, in your work processes.

Conducting retrospective exercises will always be a critical component of your growth cycle.

Also Read: 6 Career Mistakes That are Easy to Make. Or Avoid!

Tip #4 for Transitioning Back to Work: Face unresolved problems head on

A cause of your dread to return to work may be an outstanding item that requires your attention. An issue you’d rather not deal with but must address.

Here’s the best way to manage: move it to the top of your To-Do list. Make it a Week #1 priority.

Tidy your house. Moving through the work day becomes substantially simpler!

Tip #5 for Transitioning Back to Work: Managing e-mails

The sheer thought of the volume of emails sitting in your inbox may also be the reason you dread returning to work.

Unfortunately, your inbox activity did not stop when you did. You may have loads of system generated emails or, take a deep breath, communications from those pesky colleagues that snuck in work over the holidays.

Dedicate your first day back to inbox clean-up. Be sure to conquer those emails in an organized fashion so that you don’t have to duplicate the effort later. I am guilty sometimes of skimming over emails and not assigning an action against them at the time of reading.

Flag and prioritize! You’ll thank yourself later. 

Tip #6 for Transitioning Back to Work: Set a sustainable pace

Accumulated thoughts of chasing goals, catching up on e-mail, and resolving open issues are, understandably, sources of back to work anxiety.

This is why reminding yourself to ease back into the momentum is so important. When driving, you don’t move directly from 1st gear to 3rd gear, do you?

Similarly, approach the return back to work with steady progression and gradual speed. Block out chunks of time on your calendar daily so that you aren’t strictly consumed with meetings. Everyone will want to regroup on a call (you already know how this goes) so get ahead of your calendar management.

Returning to work following the December holidays break doesn’t have to be rough. On the contrary, with the right preparation, you will kick off the new year of work in a beautifully inspired state.

Go ahead, give these actions a try. Let’s turn that dread into positive anticipation to jump back into the work flow.