Beat the blues

I just got back from two weeks annual leave and having been a part of the u&u crew for only 5 and a half months I had the ‘fear’ about taking leave so soon. However, “Mum” was visiting from Sunny England so it was a non-negotiable.#familyfirst * See photo of mum and I at the beautiful Howard Smith Wharves!

I know recruitment is renowned for this, but I imagine there is a similar theme in other industries with getting “the guilts” for taking leave and worrying about what you might miss whilst you are away.

I was determined to enjoy my leave with my mum but also didn’t want to lose touch with my work at this important time (ramp-up phase). Admittedly, I am guilty of checking/replying to emails whilst on leave and this time was not much different until I was told firmly by a colleague and friend to ‘STOP WORKING’ and enjoy the time with my mum... so I did! I am grateful to work for an amazing employer who support taking leave and don’t expect you or want you to work whilst you are on leave- thanks u&u Recruitment Partners :)

During leave and as you start to think about returning to work; it is easy to start feeling anxious about the return so I have collated some things I did to combat the holiday blues and I’d like to share with my network! Hope this may help you in future and as we near the festive season!

Planning for leave

1. Setting a good “Out of office” response is a great way to minimise interruptions and ensure your customers are being looked after in your absence. Be sure to explain the dates you are away and who might be the best contact for certain queries
2. Leave a handover with your boss/colleague to again limit interruptions and make it easy for your team to help you customers
3. Let the right people know where you are and your availability. If you have a PA/EA/Receptionist, let them know about any calls/queries they should expect and any pointers on what they might be able to do to help in the interim

Checking emails on leave

1. If you are checking emails whilst on leave (and I’m not encouraging it) once you’ve actioned the email move it to a folder or mark as complete (however you manage your emails) so that you don’t then spend time double handling when back at work looking at the same things.

Coming back to work

1. Routine- I am not always great at this but getting back to your routine ASAP will boost productivity, help blast away the holiday blues and get you back into the swing of things!
2. Give yourself a “settler” day. A great previous MD of mine came up with ‘the settler’ which is basically your first day settling back in at work. This is NOT an excuse to swan around doing nothing all day, but it does just take some pressure off and makes the first day back less daunting. Some productive things you can do on your first day back:

• Take the time to catch-up with colleagues/customers
• Educate yourself on any company news/initiatives/ideas
• Make plans for the day/week/month
• Action urgent items/emails but DO NOT spend the day checking emails that are no longer relevant!

I was welcomed back this week by lots of friendly faces who had a genuine interest in my holiday and when asked ‘how did the dreaded first day back go’ I can’t really say anything more than I am happy to be back and feeling positive!

Thanks to my u&u crew for encouraging me to take a break and for the warm return :)

PS only 6 weeks to Christmas ??