5 tips to help employees return to work after the holidays stress-free

The holidays are almost here, which for a lot of employees means time off to spend and relax with family or maybe even a tropical vacation. You would think after that employees would come back recharged and refreshed, but that isn’t always the case. Many people can feel anxious and stressed about returning to work.

As HR professionals, you can help employees come back to work recharged and refreshed by sharing these post-holiday blues tips from Virgin Pulse with them now.

Make time for email

Even if employees spend time cleaning up their inboxes before they leave, they can be overwhelmed with hundreds of messages when they return. One expert tip is to advise employees to leave their out-of-office message on the morning of their return. This way they can tackle their inbox, prioritize their emails before lunch and feel accomplished; not overwhelmed.

Declutter desks

Work can get hectic before taking a vacation, trying to tie up all the loose ends. Advise employees to declutter their workspace before they leave so they return to a clutter-free workspace.

Not having a mountain of papers or whatever covering their desks will make for an easier return to work. Seeing their desks neat and tidy will release endorphins – the happiness hormones. And this goes for in-office and home workspaces.

Throw away old post-it notes, and give your laptop, screen, monitor and other surfaces a good cleaning and disinfecting wipe down. This will give employees a nice little present for themselves when they return.

Indulge in moderation

One thing the holidays are known for is good food, cocktails and desserts. It’s fine to indulge, but advise employees to get back on their healthy eating track as soon as possible. Overeating can lead to feeling bloated and tired. Embracing healthy eating habits after the holiday is over is a great way to fight the holiday blues.

Now, we aren’t recommending going vegan or anything – unless they already are – just be mindful of what they’re eating and how much they’re moving. Getting back on track before they return to work, will have them feeling better physically and mentally.

Book a vacation

Encourage employees to book their next vacation – even if it’s just a long weekend – while they’re off.

Why?

When they return to work, they’ll have something to look forward to. Experts also say it’s a positive motivator to get back to work and start saving for the next vacation.

Focus on well-being

Remind employees to take time for themselves when they return to work. Take a walk outside during the day to get out of the office.

You could even hold walking meetings. In fact, walking meetings were shown to increase creativity by 81% to 100%, according to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition. It was also found that 8.5% of people who take part in walking meetings report higher levels of engagement, according to a small Harvard Business Review study.

Allowing time for self-care, like getting a massage, or taking a Pilates or yoga class, can keep employees from becoming overwhelmed when they return to work.