I love holidays. I
love going away and I love staying home.
The big problem with them as far as I can see is that they have to come
to an end.
Perhaps that’s ultimately part of their allure; they’re a
break from reality, a chance to do something different with your favourite
people, an opportunity for escapism, and that means they have to finish
sometime.
I love not having to rush all the time. No need to set an alarm, although my youngest
will still wake me long before I would come round on my own, and nowhere to be
at any particular time. I think that’s
the best bit.
My working week is planned to the minute from the moment I
wake on Monday morning to the minute I leave the office on Friday afternoon, so
it’s great to have nothing planned and just see where the day takes us.
I write tonight with the evening sun on my face, just
enjoying the moment, but knowing that in just a matter of hours, I’ll be
sitting back at my desk, logging on to hundreds of emails, hearing about
everything that’s happened over the last couple of weeks. I don’t doubt that by 10 o’clock it’ll feel
like I was never away.
I’m determined not to get the dreaded “back to work blues,”
though, and this is how I plan to dodge it:
Be
Selfish
It’s going to be a busy week, I know that, but I’m
absolutely going to make sure to have some ‘me’ time. Holidays are usually about compromise so that
everyone gets a chance to do something they want to do, but as a mum, I
probably don’t get as much say in the activities as the girls do. That’s fine.
But this week, I’m going to read lots, maybe even go to the cinema, and
generally do even just a couple of things I want to. Just as soon as I’ve done all the laundry.
Get
Organised
Those of you who know me will know that this is always a
major life mission! I am constantly in the quest of tidiness and
organisation. I know it’ll make things
easier, I know it’ll save me time. I
just never quite manage to keep on top of it.
So this week, tomorrow, I’m going to clear up my inbox and my desktop,
and start as I mean to go on. I don’t
want to get rid of everything, but it is about making space for the things that
are important to me, and being able to find things when I need them.
Keep Up The Good Bits
I have relaxed, a bit, and I’ve certainly been eating well
while I’ve been off - lots of fish and fresh fruit and veg – and I’m going to
keep that up. I’m also going to try and spend as much time outside as
possible.
I’ve lived in the garden over the last couple of weeks, and
it does help that it’s been warm and sunny, but I know there’s lots of research
stating the benefits of spending time outside, so even as the days get darker
and colder, I’m going to try and get out for a bit.
I’ve stored pictures in my head of the glorious colours,
sounds and smells of this summer to help me through wet power-walks on grey
pavements. Reliving the memory will keep
it alive, I’m sure.
A
Change Is As Good As A Rest
Try something new.
Every day. Break the routine and do something to get out of a rut. It
needn’t be ground-breaking – try a new flavour sandwich, take a different route
to work – something to avoid a constant drudge.
Book Your Next Holiday
It’s an oldie but a goodie – book your next time off and
give yourself something to look forward to.
Even a day mid-week, or an extended weekend, if you can’t commit yet to
a big holiday. You’ll know then that you can really throw yourself back into
work.
Get
Ready
I’ll admit I’ve
checked my emails – I don’t like surprises, unless they’re gift-wrapped – so I
know roughly what’s happened while I’ve been gone, and when I get back
tomorrow, I’ll leave my out-of-office on for a day or so, just to give me a bit
of breathing space.
Like New Year’s
Resolutions, a return from holiday is a great time to take stock and set some
new goals, so I’ll be taking some time out away from my computer to think about
what’s frustrated me recently and how I can make a difference to that, what are
my priorities for the coming term, and to really embed the positive
attitude. I’ll write them down and keep
them in my eye-line at work. As the
saying goes, if your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough!
