HR expert named the main mistakes when returning to work after vacation
Returning to work after a vacation is often difficult, even for those who have had a good rest. A sudden change in the usual rhythm, accumulated tasks and a stream of new messages can cause a feeling of congestion in the first hours after entering the office. Valentina Romanova, HR director of the developer Level Group, told Izvestia about this on June 14.
According to her, one of the most common mistakes is the desire to immediately return to the previous pace of work and solve all the accumulated issues in one day.
"After a vacation, the body and the psyche need time to adapt. If a person has been living in a different mode for several weeks, you should not expect maximum efficiency from yourself from the first working day. On average, it takes from two to five days to fully return to a working rhythm," the expert noted.
Romanova said that it is better to start preparing for work in advance. One or two days before the end of the vacation, it is useful to gradually return to the usual sleep and wake schedule. This approach helps to reduce the stress on the body and facilitates adaptation in the first days after rest.
The expert also warned that the desire to immediately prove your productivity can lead to the opposite result. Many employees tend to make up for their absence quickly, take on too many tasks, and work without interruptions. As a result, they feel more tired after just a few days than they did before their vacation.
"It is better to perceive the first working week after a rest as a smooth acceleration, rather than as a sprint distance. Attempts to catch up immediately often lead to stress and emotional exhaustion," Romanova emphasized.
In her opinion, it is worth starting work not by analyzing an overflowing email, but by assessing the current situation. It is important to understand what changes have taken place during your absence, which tasks have become a priority, and which projects need to be focused on first.
The expert called the abandonment of multitasking in the first days after the vacation another important element of adaptation. According to her, it takes time for the brain to get used to constantly switching between different work processes again. In the first two or three days, it is better to reduce the number of parallel tasks. It is much more useful to perform several important tasks efficiently than to try to cover a dozen areas at once and feel completely exhausted by the evening.
In addition, the specialist recommends not starting the working week with the most complex and resource-intensive projects. A more effective strategy would be to complete multiple tasks with a quick and understandable result. This helps to regain a sense of control over the situation and restore self-confidence faster.
Separately, Romanova advised to refrain from serious career decisions immediately after returning from vacation. If after a vacation you have a desire to change jobs or radically reconsider your professional plans, it is better to give yourself time to adapt.
"After a vacation, the perception of work processes may temporarily change. Decisions made in contrast between rest and daily responsibilities are not always objective and balanced," she stressed.
According to the expert, a vacation is necessary not only for recreation, but also for the restoration of internal resources. Therefore, a smooth return to work tasks in the long run is much more effective than trying to show maximum results on the very first day after a vacation.
Olga Leonova, PhD in Law, Associate Professor of the Department of State and Municipal Finance at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, said on June 9 that employees in Russia have the right to refuse to perform their duties in the summer if the office temperature exceeds 28 degrees. In such cases, the employee has the right to suspend his activities, having previously notified the management in writing.
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