Can’t work due to return-to-work anxiety after the holiday season? Here are the top 10 tips to combat and manage and cope with the return to work anxiety.
Return to work anxiety is common amongst workers and managing it is crucial for effective performance.
No matter where you are in the world, the return-to-work anxiety after holiday season can be challenging after it has ended. You may find yourself thinking about how much fun everyone is having at party events while you’re stuck at work all day.
It can feel overwhelming when you think of all the things that will be waiting for you on Monday morning when everyone is starting their week refreshed and full of Christmas cheer.
Tips to Help with Return to Work Anxiety
If you feel like you can’t work due to anxiety, or the anxiety of going back to work becomes too much for you, there are a lot of things you can do to feel relaxed and prepare yourself for your job. Managing return-to-work anxiety can be challenging for everyone, which is why you should use these helpful tips to cope with the stress.
1. Disconnect from Social Media
One of the best ways to combat return to work anxiety is disconnecting from all forms of social media, especially if you can’t stop looking at what your friends and family members are doing when you should be focusing on work responsibilities.
Social media can serve as an escape for some people when they’re supposed to be working, causing them to lose focus and feel resentment toward their job because they can’t live in the moment or relax during this challenging time of year.
By disconnecting from all forms of social media, you can entirely focus on your responsibilities and can return to them refreshed and ready for what’s ahead.
2. Visualize the Most Relaxing Scenario
This is where meditation comes in handy. If you are wondering how to get back to work with anxiety, meditation can always help take your mind away from all of the negative thoughts it might be having.
Meditation can promote better sleeping patterns, reduce anxiety, and can even help boost your immune system so you can stay healthy all year long. It can also have the same effect as a nap if you’re struggling to fall asleep at night due to anxiety or stress.
3. Take Deep Breaths Throughout Your Workday
Stress can manifest cramps in various parts of your body, which can keep you up at night pondering whether what you ate caused the pain or not. If this is happening, try taking some deep breaths during your break times throughout the day to calm yourself down after one of those stressful workdays.
If you ever want to know how to let go of return to work anxiety during the day, deep breathing can be helpful. It releases endorphins from your brain, which can help you stay positive and can even help you fall asleep faster at night when things get quiet and you can’t stop thinking about work.
4. Do Something Nice for Yourself
This can be difficult because of how busy everyone can get during the holiday season. Still, it’s essential to take some time out of your day to do something nice for yourself if you feel back to work anxiety after the holiday break. If this means taking a long bubble bath or getting a massage, then do it.
This can be a great way to relieve any anxiety you may have as well as taking the time out of your busy schedule can help you appreciate what you do have instead of focusing on what can go wrong. On top of all this, it can release those endorphins from your brain and can keep you feeling optimistic instead of anxious about going back to work after a long holiday break.
5. Try Using Essential Oils
You can diffuse lavender oil in your home to promote relaxation and calmness throughout the evening before going back to work after a long holiday season or use peppermint oil to keep you feeling energized during your transition back into work mode.
You can even try burning essential oils in your home if you can’t get away from the return to work anxiety after the holiday season, which can help clear the air and remind you that it’s time to shift gears again.
6. Try Journaling About How Anxious You Are
This can be an effective way for some anxiety sufferers who can’t stop thinking about what they’ll do at work when they return. In contrast, others can’t focus on their job responsibilities because of how anxious they get by all the negative thoughts racing through their minds.
Journaling can help you get all those negative thoughts about going back to work down on paper, which can help you see that they’re not necessarily true and can give you a fresh perspective on everything.
This can be a great tool to use when anxiety hits during your working hours, or even in the morning when your alarm goes off and you can’t stop thinking about work!
7. Try to Change Your Sleep Schedule
If you find yourself having a hard time sleeping because of how anxious you are getting, then try changing up your sleep schedule from before work after the holiday break begins.
If this means going to bed earlier or sleeping in later, give yourself this rest time to ease your anxiety, which can be the difference between falling asleep at night or not when you can’t stop thinking about work.
8. Ask for Help to Combat Return-to-Work Anxiety
From friends and family to co-workers and health care professionals, asking for help can be a vital part of battling return to work anxiety after holiday break.
This can be difficult because everyone can get caught up with their own lives, but it can make all the difference between keeping your job or not if you’re having a hard time transitioning back into work after holiday season.
You can even get creative with your return-to-work anxiety coping methods, like using aromatherapy or writing down your thoughts in a journal if it can help you come up with practical ways to battle this anxiety.
9. Try Creating Small Reminders
You can’t stop thinking about returning to work after having so much fun during the holiday break. You can create little reminders around your home life that can be another way to keep yourself from dwelling on what you have done at work when the holidays are over.
From putting sticky notes around the kitchen to setting alarms on the phone, these can be great tools to remind yourself what you can do to keep anxiety at bay while you go back to work.
10. Try Taking Breaks During Work Hours
Taking short breaks can be another excellent way for some anxiety sufferers who can’t stop thinking about returning to work after the holiday break is over.
You can get up from your desk, get a cup of coffee, or just get outside for a bit when the return to work anxiety hits so that it doesn’t hit as hard and can keep you level-headed enough actually to do something productive during your workday again.
Final Takeaway
Managing return-to-work anxiety can be tough for everyone. And that is why it is crucial that you look after your mental health and deal with the anxiety of going back to work in a healthy manner.
Return to work anxiety after the holiday season makes it challenging to focus on work. We do hope that the tips we presented today can help you cope with it and perform better at work.
