5 Tips for Getting Back to Work After Time Off

By Cheryl Lock

No matter why you’re taking extended time off from work, getting back into the swing of things can be challenging.

Whether you want to jump in head first or start one toe at a time, here are five tips for smoothly getting back to work after time off.

5 Tips for Getting Back to Work

1. Stay Connected

Even though the idea may be to completely disconnect, it may make more sense to be “mostly” disconnected.

For example, if you’ll have an out-of-message response for your email, you may still want to check your email a few times a week. This way, you can keep up on office chatter to help you stay in the know while deleting messages to eliminate electronic clutter!

And you may find that there are some messages you want to respond to. If you’re a freelancer, you may want to respond to potential new clients to let them know how long you’re out, if and when you can help them, or possibly refer them to someone who can help while you’re out.

2. Ramp Up

Just before your return to work (a few weeks to a month), reach out to clients, coworkers, or supervisors to let them know what’s going on and that you’re returning on X date.

You can talk about how excited you are to come back to work, what professional or personal things you’ve been up to during your leave, and ask for details about ongoing projects you’ll be handling so you’re up to speed when you do return.

3. Go Easy On Yourself

Whatever vision you have for your return to work—whether you’re hoping to take it slow or jump right back—be as flexible as possible. Your plan for a slow and easy return may end up being faster than you think, and vice versa.

Pace yourself, ask for extensions when you need them, and make time for self-care. Being kind to yourself during this transition will help reduce stress and keep you from becoming overwhelmed.

4. It’s OK to Say “No”

Along those same lines, if jumping back into work full-throttle right away is keeping you up at night, it’s OK to say no to new clients and new projects.

It’s better to say no and disappoint because you’ve turned down the work than say yes and disappoint because you couldn’t deliver. Or, consider explaining your situation and letting them know that even though you may not be available at the moment, you appreciate the opportunity and would be open to revisiting with them in the future once you’re settled in.

5. Reevaluate

Depending on why you took some time away from work, you may have done some soul-searching about your career. Try not to immediately put those thoughts to bed once you restart your job. If you felt like you weren’t spending as much time as you would have liked on passion projects, try to carve out more time for them. It’s often not until we’ve stepped away from our jobs for a while that we can really see the full picture.

Back in the Game

Returning to work after an absence isn’t quite the same as returning from a vacation. Using these five tips, though, can help make getting back to work a less stressful and more positive experience.

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